“Iran and Iraq are two nations whose hearts and souls are tied together through faith in God and love for Imam Hussain and the progeny of the Prophet (PBUT). This bond will grow stronger day by day,” the Leader’s Twitter account quoted him as saying on Sunday.
“Enemies seek to sow discord but they’ve failed and their conspiracy won’t be effective,” it added.
Ayatollah Khamenei’s comments came as millions of pilgrims from Iraq, Iran and around the world are preparing to travel to the holy Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala to attend Arba’een, marking the 40th day after the martyrdom of the third Shiite Imam, Hussein ibn Ali.
They also come against the backdrop of several days of protests against mismanagement and corruption in Iraq, with certain demonstrations descending into violence and bloody clashes.
Speaking on Sunday, Iraq Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Sa’ad Ma’an Mousavi said a total of 104 people have lost their lives as result of the unrest.
More than another 6,000 have also been injured, he added.
