Strong Iran-Iraq relations can help restore peace and security to the region, Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy advisor to the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said on Monday. During a visit to Iraq, the former foreign minister said, "Had it not been for the cooperation between the two neighbors, Iraq would have been disintegrated by its enemies' plots or fallen into the hands of terrorists," ISNA reported. Underling the significance of close relations with Baghdad, Velayati said, "The Leader believes that relations need to be developed to help promote peace and security in the region." Velayati also warned of US and Israeli plots to drive a wedge between the two countries. Iran lent support to Iraq when the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group captured large swathes of Iraqi territory in 2014. Iranian military advisors were instrumental in quashing the insurgency, which Iraq officially said had been put to an end late last year.
