Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani made the remarks in a Monday meeting with visiting President of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) Ammar al-Hakim in the Iranian capital, Tehran, where the two sides conferred on the latest developments in the region.
President Rouhani deemed Iraq’s recent victories against terrorists a highly significant achievement and highlighted the need for maintaining unity and strengthening internal solidarity among all political, religious and ethnic groups in the Arab country.
He also commended the role of religious authorities in guiding people and promoting unity among different groups in line with the fulfilment of Iraq’s national interests, adding “the Islamic Republic of Iran will always stand firm on its support for Iraqi government and nation in the fight against terrorism.”
He further noted the significance of an all-out expansion of Iran-Iraq bilateral ties, saying “the development of Tehran-Baghdad relations will benefit both the people of the two countries as well as other nations in the region.”
Ammar al-Hakim, for his part, presented Rouhani with an analysis of the current political, economic and security situation in Iraq, as well as the country’s progress in combating terrorism.
He further extended his appreciation over Iran’s constructive role at the forefront of battling terrorism, and maintained that the great victory of liberating Fallujah from Takfiri terrorists was the result of unity and coordination among all political, popular and military forces in Iraq. He also stressed that the country would continue this approach until the remaining parts of Iraq were liberated from ISIL.