Iran Says US Troop Withdrawal From Ain al-Asad Reflects Growing Security Cooperation With Iraq
Foreign ministers highlight expanded bilateral ties during the Iraqi top diplomat’s visit to Tehran.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq’s Ain al-Asad airbase is a clear indication of strengthening security cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad, underscoring what he described as a deepening strategic partnership between the two neighbors.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Tehran with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on Sunday, Araghchi said Iran and Iraq are working toward a comprehensive framework for joint security cooperation while simultaneously enhancing military and security coordination.
“We are striving to reach a shared security cooperation agreement with Iraq, while continuing to strengthen security and military collaboration between our two countries,” Araghchi said.
He added that Iran is ready to expand economic, political, and cultural cooperation with Iraq, stressing that the US military pullout from Ain al-Asad “is evidence of the growing strength of our security cooperation with Iraq.”
Araghchi also praised Iraq’s regional role, saying Baghdad has demonstrated its capacity to play an influential part in promoting regional cooperation—an approach Tehran views as highly significant.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein arrived in Tehran earlier Sunday on an official visit, where he is scheduled to hold a series of high-level meetings with Iranian leaders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, and other senior officials.
According to Iraqi officials, Hussein’s talks will focus on bilateral relations, regional developments, and ongoing tensions, with an emphasis on reinforcing stability and supporting regional dialogue.
Following his arrival and reception by Araghchi, Hussein wrote on X that he had arrived in Tehran on an official visit and would hold “a number of important meetings with the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the speaker of parliament, and the foreign minister” as part of the visit.
The visit comes amid shifting regional dynamics and ongoing discussions over security arrangements in Iraq, where the future presence of foreign forces remains a sensitive and closely watched issue.