The deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs reaffirmed Iran's resolve to support Iraq in its anti-terror campaign "with all its might."
Hossein Amir Abdollahian made the pledge in a meeting with visiting Secretary General of Iraq's Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party (KSDP) Muhammad Haji Mahmoud on Sunday, in which the two sides discussed the latest regional developments, particularly in Iraq, IRNA reported.
Describing Tehran-Bagdad relations as "strategic", Amir Abdollahian said, "The Islamic Republic believes maintaining integrity, unity and strength in Iraq guarantees the interests of its tribes and ethnic groups and (consequently) those of the region."
He said Iran took immediate action to help the Iraqi government protect its ethnic groups, including Kurds, Sunnis, Shiites, Christians and Yazidis, among others, in their campaign against the so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group.
The deputy foreign minister expressed the hope that the Iraqi nation and government would soon be able to root out the scourge of IS terrorists by relying on their capabilities and preserving their "national unity and solidarity."
The diplomat hailed efforts by KSDP to combat terrorism as well as the party's positive role on the political scene of the neighboring country.
The Kurdish Iraqi official, in turn, appreciated Iran's full support for the Iraqi nation and government in their fight against terrorist groups, saying unity among the Iraqi nation was the most significant factor in this regard.
"The continued presence of IS (in the region) is due to the support of certain foreign players," he said.
In addition, the official voiced concern over the situation in Yemen, which is gripped with internal conflicts.
Haji Mahmoud urged an end to Saudi-led attacks on the Yemeni people and called for efforts to lay the ground for resolving the war-ravaged Arab country's domestic disputes.
The northern and western parts of Iraq have been in chaos since IS started its campaign of terror in early June 2014. Since then, Iraq's army has been joined by Kurdish forces and Shiite and Sunni volunteers in operations to drive the terrorists out of the areas they have seized.
