Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday he believes Iran and the US are “serious” about clinching a deal over Tehran’s nuclear program, adding that both sides are heading toward an agreement.
Speaking on the developments in Iraq in an interview with the Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat, Abadi said he “got the impression from President Barack Obama” that the US president wants a full settlement of things with Iran, noting, “The Iranian side is in the same context.”
“This did not exist three or four months ago. Now there is a desire on the part of the Iranian side. They are aware that the US is serious about reaching an agreement with Iran,” he commented.
In response to a question about Iran’s help to Iraq in the fight against the self-declared Islamic State (IS) militants, Abadi said Iran quickly realized the gravity of the situation and the danger of Daesh (IS) and it was the first country that sent arms to Baghdad and Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to bolster the army and Kurdish fighters against IS advances.
Prompt Iranian response was a strategic decision and even in the early phases of the crisis there were no discussions on the manner of payment for purchased Iranian weapons, the official noted.
“Considering Iran-Iraq shared interests in fighting Daesh, I have no doubt that the Iranians are sincerely supporting Iraq, because the threat posed by this group goes far beyond Iraq and in fact it is a real threat to Iran.”
Iranian officials have frequently stated that Tehran backs the governments in Iraq and Syria in their campaigns against terrorists. Iran has provided the two Arab countries with assistance in forms of military advice and training within the framework of international law.
