Obama Warns Iran Fighters in Iraq Must Respect Its Sovereignty
U.S. President Barack Obama warned Iran on Tuesday that its fighters must respect Iraq’s sovereignty and report to Baghdad in the region-wide battle against Islamic State militants.
Iran-backed Shi’ite militias have played a major role in battling the Sunni group, an al Qaeda offshoot that emerged from the chaos in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
Obama said he and Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi discussed the issue at length in their Oval Office meeting.
He said it was clear that Iraq and Iran would have an important relationship because they shared a border and noted the Shi’ite militias mobilized when Islamic State was surging and the Iraqi government was still getting organized.
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