Pres. Rouhani: We must stand up to US' aggressive, interventionist actions

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iran's President stressed, "We must stand up to the United States' aggressive, interventionist actions by developing Tehran-Baghdad relations and cooperation".

President Hassan Rouhani spoke with President of Iraq Barham Salih by telephone on Sunday evening and said, "The martyrdom of Haj Qasem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and their companions was extremely sad for the great Iranian and Iraqi nations, causing the great two nations grief".

Stating that the Iraqi government's clear stance and the presence of its people at the funeral of the martyrs of the incident in Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf, alleviated the sorrow of the Iranian nation, Dr Rouhani expressed hope that this great loss would be compensated through deepening friendly relations.

Dr Rouhani described the Iraqi parliament's move to expel US troops from Iraq as important and a beginning for greater stability and security in the region, saying, "There is no doubt that the blood of great generals of Resistance will cause new developments in the region and act as a factor for deeper bonds between the two nations".

The President emphasised the historical relations between the two nations, adding, "It is necessary to stand firmly for the security, sovereignty and protection of the noble Iraqi people, and the Iranian government and nation will certainly defend the sovereignty of the Iraqi people as in the past."

Dr Rouhani praised the important positions of the Iraqi maraji and Grand Ayatollah Sistani's message of condolences to the Supreme Leader, saying, "This message shows that we can continue this difficult path better than ever with the support of great leaders."

"The Iraqi government and nation have put a hard time behind them, and I hope we will see greater security, stability and national unity in Iraq through the efforts and devotion of the Iraqi government," the president said.

Dr Rouhani said that the government and nation of Iran and Iraq will be together as before, adding, Martyr Major General Soleimani made great efforts for the security of the region, Iran and Iraq, and if were not for his sacrifice and hard work, Erbil would definitely fall on the night of ISIS' invasion".

The president added, "Martyr Soleimani courageously stood by the Kurdish and Arab people on that night and his martyrdom was painful not only for the Iranian people but also for the Iraqis".

Dr Rouhani emphasised, "We must act in a way to let enemies know they cannot interfere with and harm the relations between the two nations".

At the same telephone conversation, Iraqi President Barham Salih described the martyrdom of Maj. Gen. Haj Qasem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and their companions in the US criminal operation, a great sorrow for both Iranian and Iraqi nations, saying, "I wanted to talk with you in a better condition, but we are all in a difficult situation now and we are all facing a major sedition that I hope will be foiled by the wise management of the Islamic Republic authorities and we can bring peace and stability to the region".

The Iraqi president emphasised the deep and historic ties between the two nations, saying, "The unity and friendship of the two nations will undoubtedly play a significant role in promoting security in the region".

"Stability and peace in the region are a top priority for both nations and two countries, and we can certainly deepen our relations further," he said.

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