By:Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

A strong, stable, and independent Iraq is important for the Islamic Republic of Iran as a neighbour that has always supported the people of the Land of the Two Rivers, whether Arab or Kurd, and whether Shi’a or Sunni, or for that matter the Christian and other minorities.
Even during the 34-year long Ba’thist reign of terror which and saw the US impose the 8-year war on the newly founded Islamic Republic through Saddam, Iran was always looked upon by the people of Iraq as a refuge from tyranny.
Scores of thousands of Iraqi people of all strata of society, including ulema, politicians, technocrats, merchants, tribesmen, and even soldiers defecting from the battlefronts sought asylum in Iran and were duly helped in their endeavours for liberating their homeland from the Anglo-American installed repressive minority regime.
After the fall of Saddam in 2003, ironically by his own master the US to prevent the empowerment of the long-suppressed Shi’a Muslim majority – which eventually did succeed against Washington’s wishes – a new chapter opened in Iraq-Iran relations.
These natural ties between two age-old neighbours that share commonalities dating back to over two-and-half millennium, have grown by leaps and bounds to the extent that many people on both sides of the political-geographical border regard themselves as one and not two separate nations.
This spirit of brotherhood is fully evident in the pilgrimages the Iranian and Iraqi Muslims make regularly to the other side, as well as the volume of trade exchanges and industrial ties that have multiplied over the past two decades.
The religious centres of holy Najaf in Iraq and of holy Qom in Iran are also allied with each other, cooperating in a wide variety of cultural fields, renovation of the holy shrines, and scholarship that has seen advanced academic research and publication of valuable books that were hitherto in manuscript form in the libraries of the two countries.
In addition, Iran and Iraq are part of the Resistance Front against US-Zionist plots in West Asia.
Thus, in view of these facts, President Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi hailed the recent formation of the national government in Baghdad and approval of the cabinet ministers of Prime Minister Mohammad Shiya as-Sudani by the parliament that ended the year long power vacuum after the elections, mostly due to US meddling.
The Islamic Republic has always tried to maintain balance and unity among the Iraqi political factions and not allow a split to arise among them, since these trivial differences are neither in the interest of Iraq nor of Iran.
Even the Coordination Framework which is now in majority in parliament as a result of the resignation of the Sadrist faction believes differences can be overcome and it is necessary to have decisive interaction with Seyyed Moqtada Sadr despite his present stance of not supporting the new government.
Iran also believes that Sadr, who is a scion of a prominent religious family, has a special place in the Resistance Front in view of his impeccable patriotic credentials and staunch opposition to US hegemony and Israel’s infiltration.
The new government should now implement the parliament’s unanimous vote for closure of the US military bases and expulsion of the American occupation forces, without which stability will continue to be absent from Iraq.
The Americans are the creators of the macabrely murderous takfiri terrorist outfit called Daesh, and only a strong and stabilized Iraq will be able to weed out these mercenaries as well as the terrorists freely roaming the autonomous Kurdish region and attacking Iran on the orders of the Zionists and the Americans.
The Islamic Republic looks forward to sound and healthy ties with Iraq and its people, who have always been respectful towards Iran, whether the political factions or the ethnic groups, since all of them are part of the Resistance Front, and cooperation amongst them is vital for cleansing measures against terrorists and traitors, which Washington uses as tools against both the countries.