Iran and Iraq are planning for military cooperation in the near future, announced Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri.
Bagheri indicated that the new collaboration would lead to greater stability and security in both nations, accusing the United States of supporting terrorism in Iraq.
Bagheri was speaking on the sidelines of the visit of a high-ranking delegation of Iraqi military commanders, led by Defense Minister Juma Inad Saadoun, to Tehran.
“So far, we have had and will have various discussions in all fields. The two countries have also prepared a document that is in the final stages and will be signed in the near future,” Bagheri said on Sunday.
The Iranian Ministry of Defense has provided the military equipment that Iraq needed, announced Bagheri, noting that Tehran agreed with Baghdad to expand advisory operations based on the needs in the region.
The General said that the Iraqi delegation will visit the Iranian defense industries fair, on the sidelines of talks with Iranian military leaders.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali Shamkhani, said that Iranian and Iraqi defense and security cooperation guarantees stability and security in both countries.
Shamkhani stated that one of the US objectives in West Asia is to cast aspersion and division among the countries of the region.
State-owned agency IRNA reported that Shamkhani stressed the importance of maintaining security on the border of the two countries, indicating that the withdrawal of US troops from the region is important to ensure peace in the region.
For his part, Commander of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Major-General Hossein Salami stressed during his meeting with the Iraqi delegation that Iran will “take revenge for Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani’s blood.”
Taking revenge has nothing to do with pursuing the assassination case, but “we are sure that Iraqi brothers will also take revenge for Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes' blood”, he added.
Salami indicated that the expulsion of US forces from Iraq, which he described as a "popular demand", should be done based on the approval of the Iraqi parliament.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said in response to a question about the possibility of arming the Iraqi and Afghan army- that “Iran is a responsible state that does not seek to sell arms, but looks for defense cooperation.”
The spokesman noted that in light of the lifting of the arms embargo on Iran, Tehran is therefore responsible to provide the legitimate needs of other states in this area.
