Security of Iran, Iraq closely intertwined: Iraq's top security official

Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji says security of Iran and his country is closely intertwined.

In a meeting with Iran’s Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei in Baghdad on Thursday, Araji said the two neighboring countries should improve cooperation and take joint action to promote security and stability in the region.

He expressed his country's keenness to implement a high-profile security pact signed between Tehran and Baghdad in March 2023.

The top Iraqi security official emphasized that his country would never allow anyone to use its territory to attack the neighbors or other countries.

Iran and Iraq signed the pact to ensure that terrorists opposed to Iran would not be able to operate in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

As part of the treaty, Iraq’s central government deployed troops to the border regions between Kurdistan and Iran.

Iranian authorities have expressed satisfaction with Iraq’s efforts carried out under the security pact, but they insist more has to be done.

For his part, the Iranian Judiciary chief said Tehran and Baghdad should enhance convergence and make their utmost efforts to establish sustainable security in line with ensuring the common interests of regional and world countries.

Mohseni-Ejei warned of plots by enemies and ill-wishers to prevent the implementation of the Iran-Iraq security pact.

He expressed hope that Tehran and Baghdad would take all the necessary measures to fully implement the security agreements reached between the two neighbors and to strengthen cooperation to pursue terrorists.

He said Iran has so far handed over to the Iraqi authorities a significant part of the documents related to the terrorists, adding that during this trip, another part of such documents was also delivered to Iraq.

Mohseni-Ejei expressed hope that Iran and Iraq would effectively confront terrorists in cooperation with each other.

SS