Official: Iran To Consider Helping Iraq If Officially Asked

Tehran, June 16, IRNA -- Secretary of Iranˈs Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani dismissed as “unrealistic” Western reports about potential Iran-US cooperation in crisis-hit Iraq, and stressed that Tehran will consider helping Baghdad if officially asked. ˈSuch reports are part of the West’s psychological warfare against Iran and are completely unreal,” Shamkhani said on Sunday. ˈAs we have announced, we will examine the issue of helping [Iraq] within the framework of international regulations in case of an official request by the Iraqi government and this will be completely a bilateral process and has nothing to do with a third country,” he added. Shamkhani underscored that causing horror and instability as well as inciting armed and violent campaign against the will of the public, which is manifested through free and fair elections, are among the US objectives behind establishing terrorist groups such as the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The SNSC secretary noted that certain US allies have financial, intelligence and logistic cooperation with Washington to implement such a policy. Shamkhani called on the Iraqi people, including the Shiites, Sunnis and the Kurds to remain vigilant against plots by foreign powers and defend their country by reinforcing their unity and solidarity. On June 10, the ISIL militants took control of Mosul, which was followed by the fall of Tikrit, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of the capital, Baghdad. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced out of their homes since that time. The ISIL militants have vowed to continue their raid toward the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said that the country’s security forces would confront the terrorists, calling Mosul seizure a “conspiracy.”/end