The president of the Iranian Parliament and head of the negotiating team, Mohamed Baqer Qalibaf, defended this Friday the need to articulate a "plan" against the "cruel sanctions" imposed by the United States, after the American president, Donald Trump, warned of a possible economic war.
Qalibaf, on an official visit to Iraq, emphasized that "if you look at the resources and raw materials of Muslim countries, you will realize that our enemies come to plunder them, so we must prepare to face severe sanctions in order to overcome this situation."
In this line, he demanded that the country be "prepared" for this scenario and urged the Iraqi authorities to "cooperate" with Tehran as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, according to Iranian state television.
The leader insisted that "the enemies' attempts to divide Iran and Iraq will only strengthen the ties," before stressing that both states "will not allow foreign powers to determine their future." In his view, the two nations "were two nations that refused to become a footnote in the narratives of others."
"They did not allow our destiny to be written in Western capitals," he added, while highlighting that Iran and Iraq have collaborated to "establish security and now should unite to achieve prosperity and economic development," as well as "promote projects to improve living conditions and reduce foreign influence."