Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has asserted that his country would not allow any threats or aggression towards Iran. al- Kadhimi is currently on a trip to Tehran, which also marks his first tour abroad since the pandemic began. Speaking at a news conference alongside Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, al-Khamini alluded at Iraq not becoming the battleground between Iran and the US and said that it wanted good relations with the Islamic republic.

"The people of Iraq want good relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran based on the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of both countries. Iraq is a country that won't allow any aggression or challenge to Iran from its territory," he said at a live new broadcast which was telecasted by Iranian state television.

Iran-Iraq relations have been stable over years with broth closely supporting each other. However, with surging enmity between Tehran and Washington, Baghdad has found itself it a tough position. Back home, the Iraqi PM faces increasing pressure from Iran aligned groups that perceive him as siding with the US after he announced his desire to curb the power of Iran back political parties and militias.

al-Kadhimi's visit

On July 21, the official website of the office of the Iranian presidency released a photo of Rouhani and al-Kadhimi at a welcome ceremony in Tehran, showing both wearing protective face masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The visit came after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif travelled to Baghdad over the weekend.

It was Zarif's first visit to Iraq since a US airstrike in January killed a top Iranian general, Qassim Soleimani, outside Baghdad's international airport. The strike catapulted Iraq to the brink of a US-Iran proxy war that could have destabilised the Middle East.

republicworld