Iraqi-Iranian Agreement on ‘Achieving Stability in the Middle East’

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi during a welcoming ceremony in Tehran, Iran, June 26, 2022. President Website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi during a welcoming ceremony in Tehran, Iran, June 26, 2022. President Website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
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Iraqi-Iranian Agreement on ‘Achieving Stability in the Middle East’

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi during a welcoming ceremony in Tehran, Iran, June 26, 2022. President Website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi during a welcoming ceremony in Tehran, Iran, June 26, 2022. President Website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran on Sunday.

“We have agreed to work together to bring stability and calm to the region,” Kadhimi said in a joint televised news conference with Raisi.

“Dialogue with regional officials can resolve the regional issues without foreign intervention,” Raisi said.

Kadhimi arrived in Tehran after visiting Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah to discuss regional and bilateral issues. The premier is being accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising political and economic officials.

According to a statement carried by the Iraq News Agency (INA), the meeting reiterated commitment to supporting the armistice in Yemen and reinforcing peace efforts there. It also affirmed that a peace solution for the Yemeni crisis must stem from the internal will of Yemenis.

“We also agreed to make joint efforts to meet the challenges of food security posed by the Ukraine war,” said Raisi, according to Iran’s presidential website.

“Good bilateral and regional relations between Iraq and Iran can be very effective in role-playing of the two countries in the region and international issues,” added the president.

Raisi stressed the need to resolve the problems of the Yemeni people as soon as possible and establish a ceasefire in the country.

“Lifting the siege of Yemen and the Yemenis, and the Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue can solve the problems of this country and end the suffering of Yemeni people,” said Raisi.

“Without a doubt, the continuation of this war is fruitless and will not result in anything but the suffering of the Yemeni people, so this war must be ended as soon as possible and the ceasefire can be a step towards resolving the issues,” he added.

“Iran and Iraq emphasize the need for peace and stability in the region and we believe that peace in the region happens through the role-playing of the officials of all countries in the region and the presence of foreigners in the region will not solve any problem, but instead will add to the problems,” warned Raisi.



Taiwan Reports Chinese Balloon, First Time in Six Months

A woman holds flags amid celebrations of the 130th foundation anniversary of Taiwan's largest opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), in Taoyuan, Taiwan November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman holds flags amid celebrations of the 130th foundation anniversary of Taiwan's largest opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), in Taoyuan, Taiwan November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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Taiwan Reports Chinese Balloon, First Time in Six Months

A woman holds flags amid celebrations of the 130th foundation anniversary of Taiwan's largest opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), in Taoyuan, Taiwan November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman holds flags amid celebrations of the 130th foundation anniversary of Taiwan's largest opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), in Taoyuan, Taiwan November 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Taiwan's defense ministry on Monday reported that a Chinese balloon had been detected over the sea to Taiwan's north, the first time since April it has reported such an incident in what Taipei views as part of a pattern of harassment by Beijing.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, complained that in the weeks leading up to its presidential election in January Chinese balloon activity took place at an "unprecedented scale".

It described the incidents as part of a Chinese pressure campaign - so-called grey-zone warfare designed to exhaust a foe using irregular tactics without open combat.

Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.

The ministry, in its regular morning update on Chinese military activities over the previous 24 hours, said the single balloon was detected at 6:21 p.m. (1021 GMT) on Sunday 60 nautical miles (111 km) to the north of Taiwan's Keelung port.

It then vanished some two hours later, having flown at an altitude of 33,000 ft (10,000 meters), but without crossing Taiwan itself, the ministry said.

China's defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

China has previously dismissed Taiwan's complaints about the balloons, saying they were for meteorological purposes and should not be hyped up for political reasons.

The potential for China to use balloons for spying became a global issue last year when the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese surveillance balloon. China said the balloon was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray.