Iran will strike a reciprocal blow against America for the killing of Quds force commander Qassem Soleimani, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday in a meeting with Iraq Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, according to Khamenei's official website.
On Jan. 3, a US drone strike in Iraq killed Soleimani, leader of the Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force. Washington had accused Soleimani of masterminding attacks by Iran-aligned militias on US forces in the region.
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In the meeting with Khamenei, Kadhimi touched on Iraq's disinclination to become a battlefield between Iran and the United States.
"The people of Iraq want good relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran based on the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of both countries," he told a press conference, which was carried live by Iranian state television. Kadhimi said that Iraq would not allow "any aggression or challenge to Iran from its territory."
The Iraqi premier faces a tough balancing act between Tehran and Washington, which have come close to open conflict in the region, particularly on Iraqi soil, over the past year.
At home, Kadhimi faces increasing pressure from Iran-aligned parties and paramilitary groups who perceive him as siding with the United States because he has indicated he wants to curb the power of Iranian-backed militias and political groups.
Khamenei praised the Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iraqi state-controlled institution that is an umbrella grouping of militias, many backed by Iran.
Khamenei also said Iran would not interfere in relations between Iraq and the United States, his official website reported.
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