Khamenei: Iraq Should Beware of American Deceit

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, on Thursday, October 26, supported what he called "the actions of the Iraqi government to defend the country's unified sovereignty and territorial integrity." Speaking during a meeting with Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, in Tehran, he considered the unity of various ethnic groups and the government's support for "the popular forces and the faithful and brave Iraqi youth" as the key to recent victories against terrorists and their supporters. Khamenei referred to the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi), a collection of Iran-backed Shia militias that accompany the Iraqi army in many military operations. Kurdish Peshmerga commanders have accused the Islamic Republic of directing the central Iraqi government's forces and the Hashd al-Shaabi militias to regain control of Kirkuk and other areas dominated by Kurds. However, Tehran has denied these accusations. According to reports, the leader of the Islamic Republic, while supporting the Iraqi government's efforts to develop relations with neighboring countries and the region, urged Iraq to be wary of what he called "American deceit" and "never trust them." Previously, Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, had participated in a meeting aimed at improving relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in Riyadh on October 21, which was attended by King Salman of Saudi Arabia and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Reports indicate that Tillerson, after a coordination committee meeting between Riyadh and Baghdad attended by the Iraqi Prime Minister and the Saudi King, called for the withdrawal of "Iranian-backed Shia militias" to their countries. However, on November 1, Haider al-Abadi rejected Tillerson's request regarding the cessation of operations by Iranian-backed militias. According to the Islamic Republic's leader's website, Khamenei, in another part of his speech, accused the U.S. of creating ISIS and added: "But now that the terrorists have been defeated by the government and people of Iraq, they show themselves aligned with this important development, but undoubtedly, whenever they find the opportunity, they will strike Iraq again." His accusations come at a time when the U.S. leads an international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. According to this report, Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, also stated that the Iraqi government would not allow the "threat of disintegration" to threaten Iraq and thanked Iran for its support in "Iraq's fight against terrorists." He said Baghdad is fully eager to expand relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Haider al-Abadi arrived in Tehran on Wednesday, November 1, for talks with Iranian officials. According to the Islamic Republic's state radio and television agency, he had previously traveled to Turkey and met with officials there, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. After this meeting, Erdoğan stated at a press conference that they have always said they support the integrity of Iraq and will continue to do so. He added that despite Turkey's warnings, a referendum was held in Iraqi Kurdistan, and they had to impose sanctions against the autonomous Kurdistan region. Iran and Turkey opposed the holding of the independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan and, therefore, took actions against this region in the days following the referendum.