Iraqi Speaker: Iran playing active role in anti-Daesh campaign

سلیم الجبوری

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Visiting Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri praised Iran’s support for the Arab country in the fight against foreign-backed Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) terrorists, saying that Tehran has played a major role in helping the Iraqi nation.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in Tehran on Saturday, Jabouri expressed concern over the spread of terrorism in the Middle East, saying, “We are facing a security crisis in the region, whose manifestation can be seen in Daesh and other terrorist groups.”

He further pointed to the presence of the terrorists in Iraq and said, “In such a situation, we needed neighboring countries to side with us and it was the Islamic Republic of Iran that played an active role in this regard.”

Iran has had a major role in fighting against the Daesh terrorist group and assisting the Iraqi nation, Jabouri said.

Iraq has been facing the growing threat of terrorism, mainly posed by Daesh.

The Takfiri terrorist group made swift advances in much of northern and western Iraq over the summer of 2014, after capturing large swaths of northern Syria.

However, a combination of concentrated attacks by the Iraqi military and the volunteer forces, who rushed to take arms after top Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa calling for fight against the militants, have blunted the edge of Daesh offensive.

Amid tensions in Iraq, Iran is known as the first country to help the Arab country and has always voiced support for Iraq’s unity, territorial integrity and prosperity.