Expulsion of US Forces from Iraq Best Reaction to Soleimani Killing: Zarif

In a Wednesday meeting in Tehran, Zarif praised the Iraqi government for following up the legal proceedings of the assassination of martyred commanders Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and expressed the hope that those who ordered and perpetrated these criminal acts would be punished for their criminal and damaging moves through judicial follow-ups.

He also noted that ending the presence of US forces in the region will be the best reaction to this act of terrorism.

The Iranian foreign minister expressed pleasure with the holding of a meeting of the Iran-Iraq Joint Economic Commission, and expressed hope that the agreements reached between the two sides during the recent visit of the Iranian president to Iraq in various bilateral fields including industrial towns, border markets, the travel of businessmen and pilgrims between the two countries, the transit of commodities as well as banking issues and unpaid debts would be dealt with as soon as possible.

Fuad Hussein, in turn, referred to the reciprocal visits of the Iranian and Iraqi delegations, and described it as a sign of the two neighbours’ attention to bilateral relations.

He also reviewed the issues in Iran-Iraq bilateral relations in different fields, and expressed the Iraqi side’s view on those topics.

The Iraqi foreign minister also underlined Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s special attention to the issue of following up and organizing the two countries’ relations.