TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said that his country will not allow other states or groups to use its territories for aggression against Iran.
Iraq will not allow its territory to be used as a ground for security threats against the Iranian nation, al-Kadhimi stressed in a meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf in Tehran on Wednesday.
He hailed Iran for backing the Iraqi government and nation during the fight against the ISIL, and said Iraq will not forget that Iran is an important neighbor and thus will continue developing bilateral economic, cultural and security ties.
Qalibaf, for his part, called on neighboring Iraq to “vigorously” follow up on the US assassination of top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, censuring the crime as a stain on the record of American statesmen.
“The United States violated Iraqi territory and impudently assassinated those who risked their lives to crush the bones of terrorism. This is not a simple issue. The American assassination is a major case that must be pursued vigorously,” Qalibaf said.
“The criminal assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, an international hero in the fight against terrorism, and the great martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and their companions, on the direct order of [US] President [Donald] Trump, is a stain of shame that will never be erased from the faces of White House officials,” the top parliamentarian said.
The Islamic Republic, he added, believes that stability will not return to the region as long as foreign forces are present.
Qalibaf also highlighted the historical and religious bonds between the two neighboring nations, and said, “We fought the ISIL and Takfiris and emerged victorious. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been standing by the Iraqi government and since the start [of their anti-terror fight].”
The Parliament chief said political, economic and cultural relations between the two sides have been growing at a proper rate, calling for serious efforts to further enhance bilateral ties in various sectors.
In relevant remarks on Tuesday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said that Iran will never forget assassination of General Soleimani and will definitely deal the US a counter-blow.
The Supreme Leader made the remarks in Tehran, while speaking to the visiting Al-Kadhimi.
“The US’ crime in assassinating General Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis is an example of its presence. They killed your guest at your home, and they flagrantly confessed to this crime. This is not a trivial thing,” he said, adding, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will never forget the martyrdom of Hajj Qassem Soleimani and will definitely deal a reciprocal blow to the US.”
Lieutenant General Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike on Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 3.
The airstrike also martyred Deputy Commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five Iranian and five Iraqi military men were martyred by the missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
On January 8, the IRGC Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the US assassination of ant General Qassem Soleimani.
Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. Early reports said the radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad failed to operate and intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial reports said the US army’s central radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare.
The second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of “Martyr Soleimani” reprisal operation.
Iraq said the attacks had not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into Ein Al-Assad to everyone, including the Iraqi army.
It was the first direct attack on the US army ever since world war two.
The IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted.
Meantime, Iran announced in late June that it had issued arrest warrants for 36 officials of the US and other countries who have been involved in the assassination of the martyred General Soleimani.
“36 individuals who have been involved or ordered the assassination of Hajj Qassem, including the political and military officials of the US and other governments, have been identified and arrest warrants have been issued for them by the judiciary officials and red alerts have also been issued for them via the Interpol,” Prosecutor-General of Tehran Ali Alqasi Mehr said.
He said that the prosecuted individuals are accused of murder and terrorist action, adding that US President Donald Trump stands at the top of the list and will be prosecuted as soon as he stands down presidency after his term ends.
