Iranian Envoy: IRGC Quds Force Commander’s Visit Not Related to Iraq-US Talks

“The negotiations between Iraq and the US is an internal issue and the decision depends on Iraq, itself. Rest assured that Iran will support any agreement that the Iraqi government inks and the parliament approves,” Masjedi said in an interview with the Arabic-language al-Iraqiyah news channel on Monday.

“The recent visit by Mr. Qa’ani is not related to these talks and he had earlier traveled to Iraq too,” he added. Esmayeel

“Mr. Qa’ani has always visited Iraq upon an official invitation and with coordination with the Iraqi officials and any meeting he makes is in line with strengthening relations between the two countries,” Masjedi said, adding that the Iraqi officials welcome and pay the same level of respect to General Qa’ani that they did to martyred Quds Force Commander General Soleimani. Esmayeel

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His remarks came after the Associated Press claimed in a report on Thursday that “for his second visit, Ghaani had to apply for a visa, something unheard of in Soleimani’s time — a bold step by Baghdad’s new government effectively curtailing Iran’s freedom of movement inside Iraq”. “The episodes, relayed to The Associated Press by several Iraqi officials, illustrate Iran’s struggles to maintain sway over Iraqi militias six months after America assassinated Soleimani and top militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike. Iran at the same time is grappling with the economic fallout from U.S. sanctions and the coronavirus outbreak,” it added.