TEHRAN – In a wide-ranging press conference with his Iraqi counterpart, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, emphasized the “friendly and brotherly” relations between Iran and Baghdad, while harshly criticizing the United States’ repeated violations of Iraq’s sovereignty.
The joint press conference with Iraq’s national security adviser, Qassim al-Araj, followed high-level talks that Larijani characterized as “very positive” and mainly focused on expanding economic cooperation between the neighbors.
“The level of interaction between Iran and Iraq is developing,” Larijani said. “However, for the economic relationship between the two countries to be sustainable, security issues also need to be seriously addressed and resolved.”
Iranian officials expressed appreciation for the Iraqi government’s stand during the 12-day US and Israeli invasion of Iran. He noted that the United States and Israel had “exploited Iraqi territory” to attack Iran, but noted that the Iraqi government had promised to pursue the issue in international forums.
Larijani did not mince words when discussing Washington’s role in the region. He said that after years of struggle against the dictator, the Iraqi people had established an independent government based on the national will. “However, the repeated violations of Iraqi airspace by the United States are a clear sign of the exploitation of regional countries by the U.S. government,” he continued.
At the press conference, he also touched on international diplomacy and the Iranian nuclear issue. Asked in June about International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi’s report that paved the way for Israel’s invasion, Larijani dismissed it as “misunderstood and biased.” He said Grossi “did his job” and that his report would not affect Iran’s future relationship with the agency.
Regarding European countries’ activation of the so-called “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions, Larijani reiterated Iran’s official position that the move nullifies previous agreements with the IAEA. He branded Europe’s move “illegal and unjust” and praised Russia’s “principled and legal” position.
Turning to Iran’s other international cooperation relationships, Larijani said that relations with China are at an “excellent level” and cooperation with Russia is on a similar path. He confirmed that his recent visit to Russia was aimed at developing bilateral cooperation and considering regional and global issues.
Mr. Larijani concluded by emphasizing the importance of the Iraqi delegation’s visit to Tehran and expressing his hope that it would lead to further deepening of bilateral relations.