Iran Says Ready to Offer Military Help to Iraq on Request
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran is prepared to provide military assistance to neighboring Iraq if it receives a request from Baghdad for help within the framework of international regulations, an Iranian deputy foreign minister stated.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian signaled Tehran’s readiness on Thursday to help the Arab country militarily to counter a full-blown insurgency by armed terrorists.
Speaking to Al-Alam network, the Iranian diplomat made it clear that in case Tehran is asked by Baghdad, it is ready to deliver military aid to Iraq under the international regulations and conventional and relevant treaties.
He, however, noted that the Arab country has so far not made any request and that it has the capability to tackle the problem.
The deputy minister reiterated that Iran will back Iraq in the campaign against terrorism.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iraq’s ambassador to Tehran said that his country is ready to receive any kind of assistance, including military aid, from other countries as part of its efforts to fight against terrorism.
“Iraq sees no obstacle to cooperating with other countries and utilize their capabilities,” Mohamed Majed Abbas al-Sheikh told reporters in a press conference in Tehran.
In early June, following its large-scale offensives in Iraq, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized control of most parts of Mosul, the second most populous city in Iraq and its surrounding Nineveh province.
The terrorists’ attacks have reportedly forced more than half a million people in Nineveh Province to flee their homes.
The Takfiri (extremist) terrorists are said to have entered Iraq from neighboring Syria and Saudi Arabia to destabilize the Arab country.
