Regional stability to increase with withdrawal of US troops

Ali Shamkhani made the remarks in his meeting with visiting Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim Muhammad Jalal Al-Araji on Monday.

Al-Araji who arrived in Tehran on Monday morning met and held talks with Shamkhani on bilateral, regional and international issues.

Explaining the causes of instability in the region, Shamkhani called the United States the biggest cause of insecurity and organized terrorism, saying, "Accelerating the implementation of the Iraqi parliament's law on the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq will strengthen regional stability."

Stating that the assassination of the resistance commanders, martyrs Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Muhandis fully revealed and proved the role of the United States in strengthening Takfiri terrorism, he added, "Prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators of this terrorist crime is one of the priorities of the two countries' security cooperation, and we expect more from the Iraqi government in this regard."

Shamkhani also expressed concern over the reactivation of elements affiliated with the ISIL terrorist group in Iraq, saying, "There is credible information that the Americans, by supporting ISIL forces and moving them to different parts of the country, are trying to create insecurity to continue their presence in Iraq."

Referring to some counter-security movements of counter-revolutionary and terrorist elements in the Iraqi Kurdistan region and northern Iraq, Shamkhani stressed the need for more Tehran-Baghdad cooperation to counter these groups.

He also stressed the need to tackle organized crimes, including large arms and drug trafficking networks that target the security of the two countries.

The Iranian official also pointed to the creation of new security structures among the countries of the region with the aim of combating common security threats as a suitable way to establish stability and security in the region and announced Iran's readiness to form such structures.

Praising Iran's strategic and privileged role in creating stability and security in the region and fighting terrorism, Al-Araji, for his part, stressed the need to continue and expand comprehensive cooperation between Iran and Iraq.

He described the measures taken by the order of the Iraqi Prime Minister to deal with terrorist groups in northern Iraq, saying, "Necessary coordination has begun with Kurdish region's officials to implement the decisions taken to deal with terrorist groups in northern Iraq, some of which are US-backed."

Confirming the connection of the ISIL terrorist group with the United States, the Iraqi official said, "The division of terrorist groups into good and bad and the application of double standards in the fight against terrorism will certainly have no result other than strengthening the criminal role of terrorist groups."

Al-Araji highlighted that the Iraqi government is committed to enforcing parliamentary law on the withdrawal of foreign troops.

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