Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA)- A top Iranian security official said on Wednesday that the Iraqi people will not allow occupiers to undermine their sovereignty.
Saeed Jalili, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, cited the Iraqi religious identity coupled with its rich culture and civilization as the greatest backup for resisting foreign pressure.
Jalili’s statement came as Iraq and the United States are caught up in an intense dialogue on brokering a security deal between Baghdad and Washington, a move opposed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said his government was ready to compromise to reach a security accord with the U.S. but he said neither he nor Iraq’s parliament will accept any pact that falls short of the country’s national interests.
As the Iraqi people have taken great strides by establishing a government, parliament, and ratifying a constitution, they can also take greater steps by consolidating their unity in line with their country’s economic development and independence, Jalili told the visiting Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, Tehran Times reported.
Jalili said that security in Iraq in the future will be dependent on the unity of its people and an insistence on “religious and national identity”.
He described the Iraqi nation as an ‘intelligent nation’ gifted with rich Islamic civilization who will not allow occupiers to harm their independence under “false pretexts”.
The security official went on to say that the establishment of security in Iraq is very important to Iran.
“The security of Iraq is the security of Iran and … Iran will leave no stone unturned for strengthening security and stability in Iraq.”
For his part, Mashhadani briefed Jalili on the latest developments in Iraq and the challenges that his country is facing.
Mashhadani also insisted that unity between Iraqi political groups and parties with a focus on Iraqi national and Islamic identity is the key to overcome all the problems his country faces.
The Iraqi parliament speaker also added that in contrast to the views of extra-regional powers, Iran’s military might coupled with the potentials of the Arab counties can guarantee regional security.
Mashhadani entered Iran on Tuesday for a two-day visit. He told reporters upon his arrival at Mehrabad international airport that he traveled to Tehran to seek the opinion of Iranian officials about the proposed security pact between Washington and Baghdad.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has also criticized the proposed security deal.
“Today, the duty of the Iraqi government and nation is to resist the extravagance of the occupiers,” Ahmadinejad told Mashhadani on Tuesday.
In a separate meeting on Tuesday, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani told Mashhadani that “The agreement will have unfavorable consequences for the sovereignty of Iraq and other regional states.”
In his meeting with Iran’s foreign minister Manuchehr Mottaki, Mashhadani said Iraq will consider the views of Iran and its other neighbors in its decisions which will have an “effect” on the region.
“Iran as one of our neighbors has a good status in the Iraqi foreign policy and our plan is to seek the views of neighbors in regard to any measure which will have an effect on the region with regard to a joint regional security,” the Iraqi top lawmaker told Iran’s Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki in a meeting on Wednesday.
Iran’s Expediency Council chairman Hashemi Rafsanjani told Mashhadani that the negative propaganda against “Iran’s presence in Iraq” is in line with the interests of occupiers.
Rafsanjani also cited a statement by Jalili saying that Iran will do whatever it can to help reduce the problem of the Iraqi people who have “been suffering for many years”.
Rafsanjani also insisted on the need for healing the rifts between different Iraqi religious and political rivals, saying the “main key to the success of the Iraqi people in thwarting plots by enemies is national unity.
