Iraq warns of 'danger of war' as Iran's top diplomat visits

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01:16

Iraqi leaders have warned of the risks of war during a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, whose country is locked in a tense standoff with the United States.

Zarif's visit to neighboring Iraq, which is caught in the middle of its two allies, the U.S. and Iran, follows a decision by Washington to deploy 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East.

"We are currently repelling all the efforts of war against Iran, whether economic or military," Zarif said at a joint news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed Ali al-Hakim.

"We will face them with strength and we will resist," he added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R), walks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali al-Hakim (L) in Baghdad, Iraq, May 26, 2019. /Reuters Photo

For his part, Hakim said: "We stand by our neighbor Iran, and economic sanctions are unnecessary and cause great suffering to the Iranian people."

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi warned of the "danger of a war" during a meeting with Zarif on Saturday night, his office said.

Abdel Mahdi pleaded for the "stability of the region and the upholding of the nuclear deal," it said, referring to a 2015 agreement between Tehran and major powers.

Iraqi President Barham Salih discussed with Zarif "the need to prevent all war or escalation," his office said.

On Saturday, Zarif called the deployment of extra U.S. troops to the region "very dangerous and a threat to international peace and security."

It follows a U.S. decision in early May to send an aircraft carrier strike force and B-52 bombers in a show of force against what Washington's leaders believed was an imminent Iranian plan to attack U.S. assets.

Source(s): AFP