Top German Lawmaker Urges US-Iran Co-op On Iraqi Crisis

Berlin, June 17, IRNA - A leading German legislator of the co-ruling Christian Democratic Party here Monday called on the US and Iran to cooperate on resolving the Iraqi crisis. Talking to the daily Die Welt, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the German parliament, Norbert Roettgen urged Tehran and Washington to combat the Islamist ISIS terror group in Iraq as part of a coordinated regional cooperation which would also include Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Such a cooperation would not only stop the ISIS advance in Iraq but could also be a reason for hope in the entire Middle East region, said Roettgen who visited Iran recently. On Sunday, Secretary of Iranˈs Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani dismissed as “unrealistic” Western news reports about a potential Iran-US cooperation in crisis-hit Iraq. Shamkhani did stress though that Tehran would consider aiding Baghdad, if an official request is made./end