Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi today, Saturday, that the presence of US forces in Iraq and the region destabilizes security and stability, and that their withdrawal will enhance regional peace.
The two sides also discussed the issue of money owed to Tehran in exchange for gas and electricity exports to Iraq, which have been frozen in Baghdad under US sanctions on Iran.
Rouhani told Al-Kazemi that it was necessary to release the money in Iraqi banks.
For his part, Al-Kazemi praised - according to a statement issued by his office - during the call on the progress in bilateral relations.
The statement said that the two sides agreed to call on all actors in the region to enhance calm and take a "path of wisdom and rationality" in dealing with crises and challenges.
The statement quoted Rouhani as denouncing "all activities that harm the security of Iraq committed by some groups, and Iran's denunciation of these activities that do not serve the interests of the two countries nor the stability and prosperity of the region."
Calming atmosphere
This call comes amid international signs of a halt to the escalation in the nuclear file, as Britain, France and Germany, with the support of the United States, withdrew on Thursday a draft resolution condemning Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency to suspend its work with the additional protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he would soon present a "constructive" action plan on the nuclear deal.
Reuters quoted European sources as saying that Iran had given encouraging signs in the past days to start informal talks, after the European trio decided to withdraw the draft condemnation.
On the other hand, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, the economic advisor to the Iraqi prime minister, told Al-Jazeera that the American side allowed Iran to use part of its funds in Iraq for humanitarian and civil purposes.
Saleh explained that Iran has money in Iraq that is the price of what it exports to it in terms of gas and electricity, and added that these rights are known to all parties, including the American side.
Government sources denied the release of the Iranian funds frozen in the Central Bank of Iraq, but said that the Americans may release part of those funds for the purpose of purchasing medicines for Iran via Iraq.
The sources indicated that Iraq could contract with international companies in order to buy medicines for Iran in light of the US sanctions, but it was likely that Tehran would not agree.