During the phone conversation on Wednesday, Zarif termed the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and Takfiri groups as enemies of all Iraqi people, and stressed the need for effective international support for the Iraqi government and people in the fight against terrorists.
He condemned the recent terrorist attacks which killed and wounded a number of Iraqi citizens, and announced Iran’s support for the Iraqi government and people in their campaign against terrorism.
Zebari who is in Athens, Greece, to take part in the Joint Arab League (AL) and European Union (EU) ministerial meeting presented a report to Zarif on the latest security status of Iraq, and appreciated the Iranian foreign minister for his phone call.
He also appreciated Iran for its political and spiritual support for the Iraqi government and nation, and said, “The Iraqi nation and government are determined to resist against all types of terrorism.”.
The two foreign ministers agreed in their phone talk that the ISIL and the Takfiri groups are the enemies of all Iraqi people.
Just days ago, the Takfiri militants gained control of parts of the country’s Northern and North-central areas, including the city of Mosul. On June 10, the militants took control of Nineveh Province, forcing “over 500,000 people in and around” its capital Mosul to flee, according to Geneva-based International Organization for Migration.
Reports also indicated that, on June 11, the militants seized the city of Tikrit; shortly afterwards, however, Iraqi forces managed to recapture the central city, located roughly half way between Baghdad and Mosul.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on the international community to support the Iraqi government in its fight against the militants.
Takfiri groups are reportedly entering Iraq from neighboring Syria and Saudi Arabia to undermine security in the country.
Maliki has vowed to continue fighting the militants.
