Iran's "Historic" Assistance Prevented Iraq's Fall

Iraqi Ambassador in Tehran Rajeh Saber Abboud al-Mousavi said Iran's "historic" assistance to Iraq in its fight against terrorism prevented the fall of Iraq.  

"We never forget the Iranian support for an Iraq facing real challenges," said Mousavi, in a talk with IRNA in Tehran on Saturday.

He was responding to last week's statement of the Arab League summit in Mauritania where only a handful of members of the 22-nation organization referred to what they called "external interference in Arab affairs by Iran".

Iran says it provides Iraq with advisory services in its fight against the self-styled Islamic State militant group, which has swathes of land under control in Iraq since early 2014.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since IS entered and declared Mosul its so-called headquarters in Iraq.

Since then, Iraqi government forces and allied volunteer fighters have been battling to take back IS-held regions. In recent months, they have made significant gains against the terror group, including the liberation of the key city of Fallujah.

  Need for Dialogue

Rejecting as "unfounded" claims that Iran's assistance to Iraq has sectarian motives, Mousavi said Tehran helps the Iraqi government in restoring peace to its neighboring country.

"We hope that our brothers in other countries also contribute to these efforts, like Iran," he said.

"If there were no popular forces and Iraqi Army supported by the Iranian government, Iraq would have fallen. If Iraq falls, many countries of the region will also fall and West Asia will be embroiled in chaos."

Mousavi said Iran always urges regional states to work toward promoting peace and stability in West Asia, but some members, backed by western powers, support terrorists and make political and religious intrigues against the region.

The ambassador said Iraq rejects interference of outside powers in the region and believes they cannot help solve problems in the region.  

Mousavi said Muslim countries have no other way but to engage in dialogue to settle political differences, solve regional conflicts and counter the grave threats of terrorism and Islamophobia.