Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for an inclusive, home-grown security mechanism among Persian Gulf coastal states free of foreign military intervention.
Araghchi, in the Iraqi capital for consultations with senior officials, met Iraq's top security official Qasim al-Aboudi to discuss bilateral cooperation, particularly on security.
Al-Aboudi described Iran's support for Iraq in the fight against ISIL and terrorism as unforgettable, and paid tribute to the late anti-terrorism commanders Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, congratulated Iraq on its new government and briefed al-Aboudi on regional security developments following the signing of the memorandum of understanding to end the U.S.-Israeli imposed war. Araghchi called the U.S. and Israeli military aggression against Iran a war against the entire region, and detailed America's repeated violations of the Islamabad MoU and its broken commitments.
He stressed the need for regional countries to work toward an endogenous mechanism, based on regional consensus, to establish lasting peace and security without foreign military interference. Araghchi expressed Iran's readiness to engage with fellow Persian Gulf littoral states to create a collective security arrangement covering security, economic and developmental dimensions.
On the Strait of Hormuz, he said Iran would adopt the necessary measures in line with its responsibilities and under Article 5 of the MoU, cooperate with Oman as a coastal state, and consult other regional countries.
The two sides also discussed joint border security and full implementation of the bilateral security cooperation agreement to prevent and counter terrorism.
Also in a meeting with visiting Iranian foreign minister, Iraqi foreign minister Fuad Hussein emphasized the necessity of creating new mechanisms to ensure regional security with the participation of all countries in the region, saying the initiative could serve as an important step toward confidence-building and the establishment of indigenous and sustainable security arrangements.
The two foreign ministers also reviewed the latest regional and international developments, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, progress in implementing the agreement ending the Zionist regime’s military aggression against Lebanon, developments following the signing of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US, and the latest trends in the ongoing negotiations.
Both sides stressed the need for all parties to adhere to the commitments outlined in the MoU, saying its full implementation would contribute to consolidating peace, reducing tensions, and strengthening regional stability and security.
