Iran: Disintegration of Iraq Strategic Mistake

“Iran wants to see (maintenance of) Iraq’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty and an integrated, democratic and developed Iraq and considers any disintegration and separation among nations, ethnic groups and religions as a type of blatant and strategic mistake which will harm the Iraqi people and all ethnic groups and religions and will further destabilize Iraq and promote terrorism in the country,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Sunday.

He vowed that Iran will never change its policy of support for Iraq’s Central government and the country’s territorial integrity.

In relevant remarks last Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani renewed his country’s continued support for Iraq’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran supports a stable, an integrated and united Iraq; any move undermining unity and integrity of Iraq will not be in favor of anybody, thus unacceptable,” President Rouhani said in a meeting with Head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) Ammar al-Hakim in Tehran.

The Iranian president, meantime, pointed to the recent victories of the Iraqi army against the ISIL in Mosul in Western Iraq, and said, “Mosul liberation will surely reinforce Iraq’s integrity.”

“In light of prudence of the Iraqi officials and strengthening and integrity of all ethnic groups, happiness of the Iraqi nation over Mosul liberation should be preserved,” President Rouhani said.

Noting that promotion of Tehran-Baghdad relations is the wish of both Iranian and Iraqi nations and in line with mutual interests, he said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been favoring solid relations with all neighbors, specially Iraq.