Iraq has extended its congratulations to Mojtaba Khamenei on his selection as Iran's supreme leader, emphasising Baghdad's support for Tehran as the conflict enters its second week.
Mr Khamenei succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28, along with family members and senior officials.
“We express our confidence in the new leadership's ability to manage this sensitive stage and promote unity among the Iranian people in the face of current challenges,” Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani said.
Mr Al Sudani reaffirmed Iraq’s “solidarity and its standing alongside the Islamic Republic of Iran, and its support for all steps aimed at stopping the conflict and rejecting military operations against its sovereignty”.
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid echoed similar sentiments, saying: “We extend our sincerest congratulations to you and the Iranian people on your selection as supreme leader. We hope that the coming period will see an end to the war and a preference for wisdom and dialogue, ensuring security, stability, and prosperity for the Iranian people."
Mr Rashid also highlighted the importance of regional co-operation, saying: “We renew Iraq's position in supporting all regional and international efforts aimed at stopping conflicts, easing tensions, and working together to strengthen security, peace and stability in the region”.
Both leaders also expressed condolences after the death of the former supreme leader. He was killed on February 28 when Israel and the US began strikes on Iran. The conflict has expanded regionally, with Iran attacking Gulf countries. Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq have also attacked US assets across the country, particularly in the Kurdistan region.
Iraq’s Kurdistan region has faced nearly 200 attacks from Iran and Iran-aligned groups since the launch of US and Israeli strikes against the regime in Tehran, a Kurdistan Regional Government official told The National.
Of the 196 drone and missile attacks recorded, 162 were in the region of the capital Erbil, the official said. The Sulaymaniyah governorate faced 26 attacks, followed by Duhok with five and Halabja with three.
Iran-aligned groups in Iraq have mainly attacked a base in Erbil hosting US troops and the American consulate, while Iran has attacked camps of exiled Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups. The UAE said its consulate in Erbil was hit in a “terrorist drone attack” on Monday evening and issued a strongly worded statement condemning it.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei played a major role in strengthening Iran’s influence in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime and helped the majority Shiites take power.
The influential pro-Iran political parties and militias sought shelter in Iran during the Saddam era and took part in Iran-Iraq War, fighting alongside Tehran. Some of these groups are followers of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Shiite political factions sought his blessing recently for former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki's nomination to lead the government after the November 11 national elections. According to politicians, the supreme leader endorsed his nomination, in a clear and direct provocation of the US administration.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s “assumption of this responsibility is an extension of the authentic school established by the mujahideen leaders”, said Qais Al Khazali, leader of influential Asaib Ahl Al Haq militia.
It also marks the “continuation of the approach of defending the nation's causes and supporting the oppressed and a strengthening of the Islamic Republic's position as a fundamental pillar in the axis of resistance and support for free peoples in the face of injustice and occupation”, Mr Al Khazali added.
