Will never allow our soil to be used against Iran: Iraqi Army Chief

Iraq will never allow a third party to use its soil against Iran, said Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Othman al-Ghanemi on Sunday. "My country's officials will never allow Iraq's soil to be used against Iran by a third country," affirmed General al-Ghanemi to his Irani counterpart Major-General Mohammad Baqeri.

General al-Ghanemi is a part of a delegation headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, which is on a three-day visit to Iran. Iran and Iraq are expected to sign agreements covering a wide range of common security issues such as human trafficking, combating terrorism and providing security for borders.

The visit comes a month after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's maiden visit to Iraq. Iran, who has long-standing ties with US-ally Iraq, had faced a dilemma after Washington levied sanctions on Tehran.

Iraq is Iran's second-largest market after China and purchases everything from food and machinery to electricity and natural gas from Tehran. Last year, United States President Donald Trump had announced had "toughest sanctions" against Iran, which has punctured the country's economy. Tehran has seen its oil exports plunge and its currency losing more than half of its value. (ANI)

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