Iranian DM in Iraq to Discuss Defense Cooperation

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hussein Dehqan arrived in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Monday to hold talks with the Arab country’s senior officials on a host of issues, including mutual cooperation in the area of defense.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Dehqan arrived in Baghdad airport on Monday morning at the invitation of his Iraqi counterpart Khaled al-Obeidi and was welcomed by the country’s army chief, Lieutenant General Babakir Zebari.

During his trip to Baghdad, the Iranian defense minister is slated to hold talks with a number of Iraqi officials, including Obeidi, President Fuad Masum and Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, on bilateral and international issues.

The two sides plan to explore avenues for the promotion of joint cooperation in the area of defense, security, the establishment of security in the region and the ongoing fight against terrorism.

Iraq has been facing the growing threat of terrorism, mainly posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group.

The ISIL militants made swift advances in much of northern and western Iraq over the summer, after capturing large swaths of northern Syria.

However, a combination of concentrated attacks by the Iraqi military and the volunteer forces, who rushed to take arms after top Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa calling for fight against the militants, have blunted the edge of the ISIL offensive.

Amid tensions in Iraq, Iran is known as the first country to help the Arab country and has always voiced support for Iraq’s solidarity and prosperity.