US Troops do not have the permission to “Watch Iran,” says the Iraqi President. Barham Salih was responding to the US President Donald Trump’s comments on “to be able to watch Iran”
Iraq’s President Barham Salih cleared some air by saying that US troops do not have Iraq’s permission to “watch Iran.” Comments were made a day after the US President Donald Trump remarked that US troops will continue to stay in Iraq to able to “watch Iran.”
Salih, while addressing the media at a forum in Baghdad, clarified that the US military presence in the country was the result of a bilateral agreement with the specific goal of fighting terrorism. He further added, “Don’t overburden Iraq with your own issues. The US is a major power … but do not pursue your own policy priorities, we live here.” The Iraqi leader also maintained that any action taken outside the agreement framework is unacceptable to Iraq.
“It is of fundamental interest for Iraq to have good relations with Iran” and other neighbouring countries,” he further added.
Trump on Sunday, during a television interview, commented on the position of United States by saying that he want to be able to “watch Iran.” He said, “All I want to do is be able to watch. We have an unbelievable and expensive military base built in Iraq. It’s perfectly situated for looking at all over different parts of the troubled Middle East rather than pulling up. And this is what a lot of people don’t understand. We’re going to keep watching and we’re going to keep seeing, and if there’s trouble, if somebody is looking to do nuclear weapons or other things, we’re going to know it before they do.”
After re-imposing sanctions lifted by Obama administration, Trump’s Middle Eastern policy has been focused on combating Iran’s influence in the region.