Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif said that removing the US forces from the region is an appropriate response to the assassination of the Iranian Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani, and the leader of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, a year ago near Baghdad airport in an American air raid.
During his meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein in Tehran, Zarif added that he hopes the perpetrators of this "terrorist crime" will be punished.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Zarif praised during the meeting the investigations that the Iraqi government is conducting regarding the assassination of Soleimani inside Iraqi territory.
The statement indicated that the two ministers also discussed the existing trade relations between the two countries, and expressed hope that all bilateral economic agreements would be implemented as soon as possible.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the Iranian National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, said during his meeting with the Iraqi Foreign Minister that the exit of the US forces from Iraq is the beginning of their exit from the region, considering that the presence of foreign forces - especially the US - is the main reason for instability in the region.
Shamkhani added that the political role of Iraq must be activated due to its importance in resolving disputes in the region and supporting stability.
He also called for the need to hold accountable the perpetrators of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis.
It is noteworthy that the Iraqi Foreign Minister arrived Wednesday morning in Tehran for a visit during which he will meet with a number of Iranian officials.