Tehran Reiterates Support for Iraq's Anti-Terror Fight

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated the Islamic Republic's support for the Iraqi government in its fight against terrorism amid an offensive to drive out the self-styled Islamic State terrorists from Iraq's northern city of Mosul.

"We support any campaign by the Iraqi government against terrorists to drive them out of the country and as we have repeatedly announced we will stand by the Iraqi government and nation until Iraq's full liberation [from terrorists] and the establishment of stability in the country," Bahram Qasemi also said on Monday, Press TV reported. He stressed that Iran will strongly support any sincere campaign against terrorism and respect any decision by the Iraqi government.

"We have no intention whatsoever of interfering in the country's internal affairs," he said. He emphasized that Iran has always respected and attached great significance to Iraq's territorial integrity and national sovereignty. "This is an unchangeable stance. We want a stable and developed Iraq that enjoys peace and stability and is capable of defending its territorial integrity and national sovereignty," he said.

Qasemi added that the fight against terrorism has always been among Iran's "core and unchangeable" policies and underlined that the Islamic Republic will always seriously play its role in the campaign against extremism.

He urged countries participating in the Mosul operations upon the request of and in coordination with the country's government to show goodwill and make up for their mistakes in the past by pursuing "a serious and sincere" approach to the fight against terrorism. Iraqi government forces launched an offensive on Monday to retake Mosul, the last major IS stronghold, after the terrorists seized the city about two years ago.

The operations are advancing from three directions, namely the south, the east and the northeast of the city.

In a televised address in the early hours of Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the beginning of the assault against terrorists in Mosul.

"Today I declare the start of these victorious operations to free you from the violence and terrorism of Daesh [an Arabic acronym for IS]," he said. IS unleashed its campaign of death and destruction in the country in 2014, seizing the northern city of Mosul and declaring it as its so-called headquarters. The large and multifaceted operation by the Iraqi Army and its allied forces is aimed at liberating the city.