Ahlul Bayt News Agency - Iran’s defence minister arrived in Baghdad on Monday for talks with his counterpart, a day after the Iraqi government suffered one of its worst losses, with most areas of Ramadi falling to ISIS terrorists.
Hossein Dehghan “will hold consultations with Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi,” a ministry official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the visit was arranged before yesterday’s events in Ramadi.
The expected talks between the two sides will concentrate on mutual cooperation, particularly in the defence affairs.
Iraqi defence minister, Khalid al-Obaidi, announced the visit earlier, where he described Iran is the most of the countries that supported Iraq in its war against Da'ish (ISIS) terrorism.
Minister Obaidi added that Iran gave Iraq tens of military equipment, as well as quantities of ammunition, since the start of the war crisis in June, 2014.
The recent progress by IS in Anbar Province in western Iraq, and their control of its largest city Ramadi, brings the insurgents ever getting closer to the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
After IS militants took control of Ramadi, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi signed off on the deployment of Shi’ite volunteers in an attempt to seize back the strategic city.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed confidence that the IS takeover of Ramadi would be reversed in the coming weeks.
He told a news conference in Seoul that Ramadi had been an opportunistic target for the Islamist militants.
“I am convinced that as the forces are redeployed, and as the days flow in the weeks ahead, that’s going to change, as overall (they) have been driven back … I am absolutely confident in the days ahead that will be reversed.”
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