Iraq cool to Iranian offers of military cooperation
Iran is seeking to sell weapons and military equipment to Iraq through military cooperation agreements between the two countries, but Iraq is holding back.
Iraqi Minister of Defense Juma Inad paid an official visit to Tehran Nov. 14 in response to the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Minister of Defense Amir Hatami a few weeks ago.
Hatami said, “The Iranian Ministry of Defense is ready to beef up Iraq’s defense capacities and provide the needs of the armed forces.”
The Iranian chief of staff stated that, as part of the past military cooperation between the two countries, Iraq received military equipment from Iran. He said, “We will soon sign a comprehensive military agreement that involves the purchase of Iranian military equipment, joint military maneuvers and exchange of experience.
During the joint statements of the ministers of defense of both countries during their meeting in Tehran, Inad did not mention any request from his country for Iranian military aid or “provision of needs for the Iraqi armed forces,” unlike the claims of his Iranian counterpart. He said, “We want to enhance the capacities of the Iraqi forces.”
