Leader's Advisor Ali Akbar Velayati held a meeting with President of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq Ammar al-Hakim in Tehran on Sunday.
After the meeting, Velayati told reporters, "According to impartial observers, today Iraq is enjoying the highest level of stability and security in the period after (the ouster of former Iraqi dictator) Saddam Hussein," ISNA reported.
On the meeting with the Iraqi official, he said they discussed the latest developments in Iraq, adding, "Mr. Hakim expressed satisfaction with the fact that Iraq has ultimately managed to achieve independence, security and peace after months of ups and downs and that Daesh (the Arabic acronym for the so-called Islamic State) and other terrorist groups in Iraq are on the verge of complete defeat."
He continued, "The terrorist groups in Iraq have been overcome by volunteer forces after Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa (religious decree) for a battle (against them)."
He expressed hope that volunteer forces in Iraq and Syria could inflict a complete defeat on the terrorist groups operating in the two Arab countries through increasing their cooperation.
Regarding the attempts to sow the seeds of discord between Shiites and Sunnis in the country, the director of the Center for Strategic Research of the Expediency Council said, "The country has always been prone to such threats which are made for propaganda purposes."
Velayati continued, "Ammar al-Hakim is also pleased with the new united front and the new government in Iraq."
Hakim, for his part, told reporters, "We are against the creation of a religion-based federal government in Iraq which will cause friction among religious group."
He added, "My visit to Tehran is meant to help reinforce bilateral cooperation and discuss issues of mutual interest as well as common foreign threats posed to Iran and Iraq."
