Iraq, Iran Relations Not To Be Harmed by US: Iraqi President

Fuad Massoum says Iraq will not allow its ties with certain countries, including the US, damage relations with Iran which he described as Baghdad's "brother".
 
“We seek strong ties with Iran. Our ties with the Islamic Republic are an important issue. Rarely is there a country with which we maintain such ties as we have with Iran,” he told Iran’s Tasnim news agency in an interview published Sunday.
 
“Although Iraq maintains ties with the US and other world countries, we do not want those ties to contradict the ones with Iran. We do not want our ties with other countries to damage the type of relations we have with Iran,” he added.
 
The relations, Massoum said, were "increasingly moving towards becoming strategic.”
 
"There are countries which are our friends. Some of these countries are markedly friendlier but there are countries which we regard as our brother. Iran is a brotherly and friendly nation to us," he added.
 
"We are in need of this support, capability and expertise (of the Iranians). This support has been very important to us and clarified many things to us," he said.
 
Iraq waged a destructive war against Iran between 1980 and 1988 under the former dictator Saddam Hussein. Since his ouster, the two neighbors have turned to close allies, forging an exemplary relationship in the region.
 
"America, France, Britain and other European countries have their own military advisors in Iraq. Hence, one cannot say Iran's military advisors don't have a right to be in Iraq. We think this is a normal issue and Iran, like other countries, is entitled to this right."
 
Iran's assistance in the form of arms aid, advisory support, and humanitarian assistance to refugees has proven instrumental ever since ISIS took control of the northern city of Mosul, Massoum said.
 
The Iraqi president also said, "Our relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran have never been and will never be against a third country. Rather, they will guarantee the interests of both the Iranian and Iraqi nations."