Tehran - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called
on the Iraqi premier not to trust the United States, ISNA news agency
reported Sunday.
'As long as the Americans are in Iraq, there will be no relaxation
for the Iraqi people. The presence of US and British forces in Iraq
is the main basis for all the numerous problems, including terrorism
and internal disputes,' the Khamenei told visiting Iraqi Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
According to press reports, al-Maliki elaborated on the security
pact signed last month between Iraq and the US, towards which Iran
has a negative approach.
'There have been some worries in Iran over the security pact as
the Americans are not reliable and Iraq should not trust any of their
promises as the main US aim is a permanent and long-term base in the
region,' he said. Khamenei has the final say on all state affairs in
line with the Iranian constitution.
Iran wants US forces to withdraw from Iraq even earlier that
scheduled in the pact - withdrawal from Iraqi cities by the end of
June 2009 and from the rest of the country by the end of 2011 - and
leave all state affairs to the Iraqi government.
The Ayatollah added that the Iraqi government should prove to its
people that it would not be intimidated by US threats and not retreat
from national interests.
He reiterated that Iran's aim was to see tranquility and stability
in Iraq and Tehran would therefore make all efforts to realize this
aim.
Ending his two-day visit to Tehran on Sunday, al-Maliki said Iraq
wanted Iran's assistance in reconstructing the country.
'We are interested in availing ourselves of Iran's experience and
expertise for Iraq's reconstruction and further want expansion of
ties in all fields,' the website of Iran's state television network
IRIB quoted al-Maliki as saying.
The Iraq premier, on his fourth visit to Iran within the last two
and a half years, said his talks with Iranian officials, including
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, were positive and constructive and
voiced optimism towards the future trend of relations with Iran.
Iran's Vice-President Parviz Davoudi said that the two states have
agreed to boost their bilateral trade volume from 4 to 10 billion
dollars per year.
Davoudi added that the establishment of a cross-border market and
a free trade zone, transfer of electricity via the western Iranian
province of Kurdistan to Iraq, and finalizing construction of an oil
pipeline between the southern Iraqi city of Basra and Iran's nearby
port of Abadan were among the agreements of the Tehran summit.
Ahmadinejad had on Saturday promised al-Maliki Iran's full help in
enabling Iraq to gain peace and stability and said it was 'Iran's
Islamic and humanitarian duty' to stand beside the Iraqi nation.
The two officials are also believed to have talked about US policy
in Iraq under the incoming administration of president-elect Barack
Obama.
Your Talkback on this Story