Iran dismisses Washington's perception of threat for withdrawing Iraq personnel
Iran’s Permanent Mission to The United Nations has dismissed Washington’s reasoning for withdrawing non-essential employees of the U.S. embassy in Iraq.
The semi-official ISNA news outlet reported that Iran’s diplomatic mission in New York has said that the decision by the U.S. State Department to withdraw some of its employees form Iraq is “The latest episode in America’s propaganda war against Iran."
The U.S. announced on May 15 it has decided to withdraw non-essential diplomatic personnel from Iraq, citing possible Iranian threats to American interests.
Iran’s Mission to the UN said this decision was the result of "false propaganda information, to start a possible confrontation.”
ISNA quotes a statement by the mission saying, “Iran is not a threat to anyone in Iraq or in other places and has no intention to attack in any location."
Iran has substantial political and military influence in Iraq, having trained and armed tens of thousands of Shiite militias in the country.