Iraqi president Barham Salih slams Trump's remarks to keep troops to watch Iran

Iraq's president has slammed comments by US President Donald Trump who, he says, wants to keep US troops in Iraq "to watch Iran."

Barham Salih says Trump did not ask Iraq's permission for American troops stationed there to watch Iran, describing his comments as "strange." Salih spoke Monday at a forum in Baghdad and was responding to Trump's comments to U.S. media in which he said the U.S. has an "incredible base" in Iraq which he intends to keep "because I want to be able to watch Iran."

Salih says U.S. troops in Iraq were there for one purpose only which is assisting in the fight against IS. He says Iraq's constitution forbids the use of Iraq as a base to threaten the interests or security of neighbouring countries.