Speaking at a press conference in Iran’s northwestern city of Tabriz on Tuesday evening, Hossein Jaberi Ansari pointed to the chaotic protests in Baghdad, stressing that any development in Iraq should protect the “democratic achievements” that the Arab nation has gained over the past decade.
“The normal way is serious dialogue and national compromise among the (Iraqi) local groups,” he underlined.
Expressing the hope for the settlement of conflicts in Iraq, Jaberi Ansari said Iran is prepared to help its Muslim neighbor by taking advantage of its relations with the Iraqi groups within the law.
Asked about prominent Iraqi figure Muqtada al-Sadr’s recent trip to Iran, the spokesman made it clear that Iran maintains contacts with the Sadrist Movement like the other active political groups in Iraq, and such reciprocal visits by the Iranian and Iraqi politicians is not unusual.
The comments came after hundreds of protesters stormed Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on Saturday and entered the Parliament building.
As the chaos erupted, one lawmaker was attacked, and protesters damaged several vehicles near parliament. The protesters were mostly supporters of the Muqtada al-Sadr.
Iran has always voiced its support for democracy and national dialogue in Iraq for settling the political conflicts in a peaceful manner.