TABNAK, Feb 17: In a meeting in Baghdad, Takht Ravanchi and Mandalawi discussed leading regional and international developments as well as ways to improve mutual ties in various fields, particularly in the trade and economic sectors.
They called for the exchange of official parliamentary and governmental delegations to review the necessary mechanisms for activating the Iran-Iraq joint friendship committee and exchanging experiences between the two countries’ parliaments.
The Iraqi acting Council of Representatives’ speaker also condemned the Israeli regime’s repeated acts of violation against the Lebanese and Palestinian people despite a ceasefire.
Mandalawi said the Israeli regime’s disregard for laws, charters, and international agreements would not have been possible without the support of certain Western countries.
He expressed the Iraqi parliament’s opposition to the US-Israeli plan to forcibly relocate the people of the Gaza Strip and called on the Arab and Muslim countries to take a firm stance in this regard.
He warned that if the Arab and Muslim countries refuse to heed the issue and counter it, other countries would also suffer harm.
Mandalawi said the parliaments of the Arab and Muslim countries should introduce some initiatives to support the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and oppose the forced displacement of the Palestinian people.
US President Donald Trump has floated the idea of resettling Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab countries. He also said the US would “take over” the besieged Strip and turn it into a tourist destination.
The plan has drawn widespread condemnation around the world.
A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between the Israeli regime and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has been in place in Gaza since January 19, pausing the Tel Aviv regime’s more than 15 months of war that has killed over 48,260 people, mostly women, and children, and left the Palestinian territory in ruins.
In a Sunday meeting with Secretary General of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Albudaiwi in the Omani capital of Muscat, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the Muslim world to take a united and firm stance in support of the rights of the Palestinian people.
Araghchi has also told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the United Nations, particularly its Security Council, should adopt a “firm and clear” position against the US-Israeli plan for forced displacement of Palestinians.
Strengthening security
Iran’s embassy in Baghdad said Takht Ravanchi held political consultations with Iraqi authorities, including Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations Mohammed Hussein Mohammed Bahr AlUloom and National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji.
Speaking after talks with Araji, the Iranian deputy foreign minister said his current visit to Iraq is in line with regular political consultations between the two countries.
It is imperative to consult with Iraq to strengthen security, Takht Ravanchi added.
He stressed the importance of promoting bilateral cooperation to guarantee stability in the region.
“National security is the priority of Iran and Iraq, and this makes it essential to continue… coordination between the two countries at all levels,” he emphasized.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Takht Ravanchi said he and the Iraqi deputy foreign minister “participated in the seventh session of political consultations between the two countries.”
He also pointed to his meetings with Araji and Mandalawi and said, “Exchange of views on vital and important issues between the two close neighboring countries, who share many commonalities, is a must in this challenging time for West Asia.”
