Khamenei urges Iraqi PM to oppose “illegal” US presence in his country

MADRID Jan. 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has urged this Wednesday the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mohamed Shia al Sudani, to oppose the “illegal” presence of US troops in Iraqi territory, although Washington and Baghdad announced in September of 2024 that will end the international coalition led by the United States during 2025.

Khamenei has described the “US occupation in Iraq as illegal and contrary to the interests of both the Iraqi people and the Iraqi government”, underscoring the “existence of clear indications and evidence that point to the efforts of the United States to consolidate and expand its presence and occupation “, which “must be firmly opposed,” reads a statement from his office.

Likewise, he has highlighted the importance of good relations between the Iraqi and Iranian Governments, while he has advocated “making efforts to preserve and strengthen” the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition that includes numerous paramilitary groups and militias. pro-Iranian and that has been integrated into the Iraqi forces for years, considering that “they constitute one of the important elements of power in Iraq.”

The decision to end the presence of US troops in Iraq occurred within the framework of tensions that arose as a result of Washington’s bombings in the country against pro-Iranian militias, a measure in retaliation for their attacks against US bases in the region. with the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip as a backdrop.

The coalition was born in 2014 at the height of the rise of the Islamic State, which came to control large areas of Syria and Iraq taking advantage of the instability. Led by the United States, Spain contributes around 180 soldiers who help train and qualify Iraqi forces in the fight against terrorism.