Ambassador Rajeh Saber Abboud al-Mousavi said in a recent interview that Iran’s contribution to Baghdad’s fight against terrorism has crucially helped the Arab country preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Had the Popular Mobilization forces and the Iraqi army and the Islamic Republic’s support not existed, Iraq would have fallen by now,” al-Mousavi said, adding, “Iran’s presence in Iraq has entirely been based on the Iraqi government’s demand and is of an advisory nature.”
The remarks come as Iran has been providing advisory military support to Iraq’s battle against the Takfiri terrorist group of Daesh.
“When Iran helped and Tikrit was liberated, the city was left to its residents, and there were no ethnically-charged aspects [to the Islamic Republic’s support],” the ambassador said
“The countries form each other’s strategic depths and are both after stability and calm in the region,” al-Mousavi said, adding, “Should Iraq fall, so will every country in the region, and there will be chaos in all those countries.”
Some parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Takfiri Daesh terrorists launched a campaign of terror in the country in June 2014. Iraqi government forces backed by volunteers have been pushing the militants out of the country’s territory.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iraqi ambassador also censured Western support for the terrorist anti-Iran Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO). “When the Iraqi people rose up against Saddam’s regime, they (the MKO members) helped him annihilate these people and they killed hundreds of thousands of people under the pretext that they had rioted against the establishment.”
Some of MKO members are based at a former US camp in Iraq.
The MKO sided with former Iraqi dictator Saddam during his 1980-1988 war on Iran. The terrorist group also widely supported Saddam in his brutal crackdown on opponents.
Iraqi leaders have long asked MKO remnants to leave the Arab country. However, a complete eviction of the terrorists has been hampered by US and European support for the group.
It is worthy to mention that Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic through his speeches and messages denounced the crimes being committed by the MKO terrorist group and its backers.