Asefi: the United States is not interested in a united, powerful and integrated Iraq

Mehran Riazaty: Iran Analyst

On Saturday, the Iranian Republic News Agency reported Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi rejected allegations made by certain American officials that the Islamic Republic of Iran is of interfering in Iraqi internal affairs. He added that the allegations were part of the U.S. propaganda against Iran and the U.S. authorities' attempt to conceal their weaknesses and justify their failures in Iraq. He expressed regret that Washington, in order to justify its occupation of Iraq and the inexcusable presence of its forces in the region, was paving the way for the emergence of a weak and disintegrated Iraq. Asefi noted that the United States presence in the region is against the will of regional nations and has been strongly opposed all over the world, even by its own citizen. He went on to say that unlike the United States, the Islamic Republic of Iran is interested in a united, powerful and integrated Iraq in the region.

Analyst Comment: On May 18, 06, the Iranian Republic News Agency reported that Ali Akbar Velayati, former Iran’s Foreign Minister for about 16 years, and current advisor in International Affairs to the Supreme Leader Ayattolah Khameni, said at this time our friends are in charge of government in Iraq and Afghanistan. Velayati added that the unification of Iraq is in interest of the United States, but if their supports for the Iraqi Kurds increase, they will have problems with Turkey.

Whom we have to believe: Asefi, who said that the United States is not interested in a united, powerful, and integrated Iraq, or Ayatollah Khamenei’s foreign advisor, Ali Akbar Velayati, who said that the unification of Iraq is in interest of the United States? READ MORE

Two different statements which made by Asefi and Velayati, indicate that the Iranian officials are either a good political game players, or they have no concrete view on same issue. The main question is then how anyone could trust what the Iranian officials are saying about any issue, especially on Iran’s nuclear activities.

Mehran Riazaty: a former Iran analyst for the Central Command of the Coalition Forces in Baghdad.

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