Politician denounces Khamenei's remarks on US troops in Iraq
"I advise Abd al-Mahdi to commit to the stay of the U.S. forces; first, to [serve] Iraqi strategic interests, Iraqi security, and to protect the Iraqi people, and second, to protect himself (Abd al-Mahdi) from Iranian treachery, in case they felt that they achieved their goal …" Qanbar wrote on Twitter.
Warning Abd al-Mahdi about the consequences of obeying Ali Khamenei's recommendation, Qanbar addressed Abd al-Mahdi saying: "If you dismissed the Americans, the Iranians will feel that you are valueless, and they will be the first to stab you."
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Iran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi on Saturday to ensure US troops leave "as soon as possible", Iranian state media reported.
"You must make sure that the Americans withdraw their troops from Iraq as soon as possible because expelling them has become difficult whenever they have had a long military presence in a country,"Khamenei was quoted as saying.
“The Iraqi government, parliament and current political activists in the country are undesirable for the Americans … and they are plotting to remove them from Iraqi politics,” said Khamenei.
Iran and Iraq fought a devastating 1980-88 war but the 2003 US-led invasion prompted a long Sunni insurgency during which Iran’s regional sway rose at Washington’s expense.
During Abdul Mahdi’s visit, President Hassan Rouhani called for Iran and Iraq to expand their gas and electricity dealings and boost bilateral trade to $20 billion, Middle East Monitor reported.
“The plans to export electricity and gas and hopefully oil continue and we are ready to expand these contacts not only for the two countries but also for other countries in the region,” Rouhani said in remarks.
In March, the United States granted Iraq a 90-day waiver exempting it from sanctions to buy energy from Iran, the latest extension allowing Baghdad to keep purchasing electricity from its neighbor.
“We hope that our plans to expand trade volume to $20 billion will be realized within the news few months or years,” Rouhani said. Iranian media reports have put the current level of trade at about $12 billion.
