Raeisi: US has no regard for interests of regional states, can’t be trusted

He made the remarks in a meeting on Thursday with former Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari, who was representing senior Kurdish political leader Masoud Barzani.

As the Americans have officially declared, their presence in the region is for the sake of their own benefits, thus they can never be trusted, Raeisi said.

“History has shown that it is wrong to trust the Americans because they do not…feel concerned about the people of Iraq, the Kurdistan region or Iran,” he added, noting that the US presence only disrupts regional security.

On January 5, 2020, Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country.

It came two days after the US assassinated top Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and PMU deputy head Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis Muhandis along with their companions in a drone strike authorized by former president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport.

Both commanders were highly popular because of the key role they played in eliminating the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Iran’s judiciary chief said General Soleimani rushed to defend Kurdistan against Daesh in the same manner he would have defended Iranian cities against enemy aggression.

“Maintaining Kurdistan’s security and peace is of special importance for the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he underlined.

“What we want…is the unity and solidarity of all Kurdish groups. Any differences and divisions among Kurdish factions are harmful and pave the way for the presence of enemies in the region.”

Zebari, for his part, said the Kurds would never forget the assistance of Iran and General Soleimani in the difficult days of the fight against Daesh.

“We are not ungrateful people. Mr. Barzani, in his first statement, said that Iran was the first country that helped us to stop the Daesh attack. This is part of the history and the path we have taken,” he added.

In 2014, when Daesh unleashed its campaign of terror in Iraq, Iranian military advisers rushed to the aid of Iraqi armed forces on Baghdad’s request, helping them reverse Daesh’s gains and ultimately liberate their entire homeland from the Takfiri group some three years later.

‘US after harming Iran ties with other states’

In a separate meeting with Iraqi Speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi, Raeisi renewed his warning against the dangers of the US military’s presence in the region.

“Regional security should be provided by the people, armed forces and governments [of the region], not by the US and [other] outsiders,” he added.

He said Washington has been pursuing the strategy of harming Iran’s ties with other nation in the region, adding, “Through spreading Iranophobia, the US is after undermining other countries’ friendship with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The countries that imagine they can protect themselves by following America’s path are making a strategic mistake, Raeisi warned.

Elsewhere, the Iranian Judiciary chief further expressed hope for stronger bonds between the two neighboring nations and said, “Today, there are good political and economic interactions between the two countries, but bilateral economic ties still need a boost.”

He also called for the enhancement of judicial and parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.

In turn, the top Iraqi parliamentarian called for close and special cooperation between the two countries in order to overcome the challenges facing the region.

He also thanked the Islamic Republic for standing by the Iraqi nation in its fight against Takfiri terrorists.