Iran supports consensus among Iraqi groups: Zarif

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has stressed that Tehran supports “consensus” among all political groups in Iraq.

Speaking at the end of his three-day visit to Iraq on Tuesday, Zarif expressed hope that all the Iraqi local groups could manage to form an inclusive, cohesive, healthy and efficient government in the Arab country.

“Iran has always been a supporter of consensus in Iraq and still pursues that policy,” he said.

As a country that has had friendly and sincere relations with all different Iraqi groups, the Islamic Republic has been consulted by these groups, Zarif added.

The top Iranian diplomat further pointed out that his recent visit to Iraq provided an opportunity to talk to all the groups and hear the views of the religious authority in the country.

In Iraq, Zarif visited the cities of Baghdad, Najaf, Karbala, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah and met with a number of Iraqi officials, including President Fouad Massoum , Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi, outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, senior Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and President of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masoud Barzani.

The Iranian minister’s visit to Iraq came as the country is facing tensions created by the ISIL Takfiri terrorists that have overrun large swaths of land in the northern and western parts of the country.

The ISIL militants have threatened all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and Izadi Kurds, in their advances in Iraq. They have been committing heinous crimes in the areas they have taken, including the mass execution of civilians as well as Iraqi army troops and officers.