TEHRAN – President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday reaffirmed Iran’s support for security, stability and establishment of a strong government in Iraq, warning that the U.S. has no compassion for Muslim nations, particularly for the Iraqi people.
In a telephone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart, Raisi said Iran supports Iraq’s unity, independence, security, and the elevation of the Arab country’s regional and international standing.
He also voiced Tehran’s backing for the formation of a strong government in Baghdad, stressing the need for efforts to ensure regional security and calm without foreign interference.
Raisi said time has proved the truth of the remarks from Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei that the U.S. has by no means any sympathy for the Muslim nations in the region, especially for the Iraqis.
It has now become clear that the outsiders are only after hegemony and fulfillment of their own interests, the president added.
“Any country in the region that neglects the hegemonic objectives of the U.S. and the Zionist regime would trample on the interests of its nation and be abhorred by the Muslim nations,” he added.
For his part, Iraqi President Barham Salih called for close cooperation between Baghdad and Tehran to overcome regional challenges, saying Iran plays a major role in the establishment of regional stability and security.
Iraq and Iran have common views and goals at the regional and international levels, he stated, noting that closer cooperation and coordination would help them take effective steps in fulfilling the interests of the regional nations.
The remedy for the regional crises relies on the willpower of the nations and intra-regional solutions without foreign interference, Salih added.
On Saturday, Raisi congratulated leaders of Muslim countries on the beginning of Ramadan, expressing hope that effective measures would be taken to forge unity and integrity among Muslim nations.
In separate messages to leaders of Muslim countries, Raisi said he hopes that effective steps would be taken to strengthen unity and integrity among the Islamic Ummah, particularly against divisive movements and Takfiri terrorism.
He added that such a goal could be achieved with the blessings of Ramadan which is marked by mercy and forgiveness and through joint efforts of Islamic leaders and intellectuals while emphasizing growing cohesion and solidarity among Muslim nations.
Raisi also hoped that the world and Palestine in particular would witness the elimination of oppression and injustice and the establishment of peace and security.
The office of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei declared Sunday as the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Iran.
The beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan is determined by both lunar calculations and physical sightings of a new moon.
During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, converge in mosques for prayers, and traditionally break their fast in gatherings in mosques or with family and friends in the evening.
Different countries have developed their own methods of declaring the first day of Ramadan.