Khamenei says Iran strongly

opposes U.S. intervention in Iraq

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech during a ceremony marking
the 25th death anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic,
in Tehran une !, 2"#!$
BY MEHRDAD BALALI-DUBAI Sun Jun 22, 2014
%Reuters& ' Iran's top leader re(ected possible intervention in Ira) by the *nited +tates
or other outside po,ers, accusing -ashington on +unday of trying to manipulate Ira)i
sectarian differences to retake control of the country it once occupied$
In remarks published by the official IR.A ne,s agency, +upreme /eader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei added that Ira)is themselves could end violence in their country, ,here Iran
has steadily built up its o,n influence over the past decade$
Another senior figure, former 0resident Akbar 1ashemi Rafsan(ani, said Tehran did
not ,ant to meddle in other nations but also hoped to mediate to 2e3tinguish the fire2
in Ira)$
Khamenei, ,ho has the last ,ord in all matters in +hi'te 4uslim Iran, said5 2American
authorities are trying to portray this as a sectarian ,ar, but ,hat is happening in Ira)
is not a ,ar bet,een +hi'ite and +unnis$2
2It is indeed the same old hegemonic order using leftovers of the +addam %1ussein&
regime as its key pieces, and the Takfiri dogmatic elements as foot soldiers,2 he told
(udiciary officials, using a term referring to +unni Islamist militants$
4asked (ihadists of the militant Islamic +tate of Ira) and the /evant %I+I/& have
captured s,athes of northern Ira) this month, aiming to create an Islamic 6aliphate
,hich ignores boundaries set by colonial po,ers a century ago$
The advance has been driven by an amalgam of +unni tribal and Islamist militias, and
former officers of +addam 1ussein's 7aath 0arty, united in hatred of the +hi'ite'led
government, ,hich they accuse of marginalising their sect$ 7ut I+I/ has spearheaded
the revolt and assaults on cities and to,ns$
Iranian 0resident 1assan Rouhani has said his countrymen ,ill not hesitate to defend
+hi'ite shrines in Ira) if need be, but he has also said, like Khamenei, that Ira)is are
capable of doing that (ob themselves$
Thousands of +hi'ite Ira)is have responded to calls to take up arms and defend the
country against the insurgency$
Khamenei said he ,as strongly opposed to intervention by the *nited +tates or other
countries in Ira), adding -ashington ,anted to re'establish control over the oil'
e3porting country$
2The *$+$ is seeking an Ira) under its hegemony and ruled by its stooges,2 Khamenei
,as )uoted as saying$
Khamenei made no mention of possible cooperation ,ith the *nited +tates on Ira), an
idea that Rouhani, in ans,er to a )uestion at a une #! ne,s conference, said Tehran
might consider if -ashington tackled 2terrorist groups2 in the region$
R89I:.A/ RI;A/
*$+$ 0resident 7arack :bama on une #< offered up to ="" Americans to help
coordinate the fight against I+I/, but he also urged 0rime 4inister .uri al'4aliki, an
ally of Iran, to do more to heal the country's sectarian rift$
:bama held off granting a re)uest for air strikes from 4aliki's +hi'ite'led government,
but earlier this month he ordered an aircraft carrier into the 9ulf, readying it in case
-ashington decides to pursue a military option$
Khamenei said the conflict in Ira) ,as not sectarian, but ,as instead bet,een those
,ho ,anted Ira) in the *$+$ camp and those ,ho sought Ira)'s independence, IR.A
reported$
The armed campaign 2aimed at disrupting Ira)'s stability and tran)uillity, and
threatening its territorial sovereignty $$$ the ro, is mainly bet,een those seeking an
independent Ira) and those ,ho ,ant Ira) (oin the *$+$ camp$2Rafsan(ani, a close ally
of Rouhani ,ho chairs Iran's 83pediency 6ouncil, ,hich advises the supreme leader,
said5 2-e don't ,ant to meddle in other countries' internal affairs, but hope to be good
mediators in trying to e3tinguish the fire$2
7ut he said Ira)'s plight ,as complicated because its sectarian conflicts 2have taken on
the hue of blood$2
4ohammad Re>a .aghdi, the hardline commander of a volunteer Islamic militia
kno,n as 7asi(, echoed Khamenei's criticism of -ashington$
2America is in need of Ira)i oil and its ,hole effort is bent on recruiting anti'Islamic
and fanatical groups to strike a blo, against the Islamic nation,2 he told IR.A on
+unday$ America ,as harming Ira) by hiring people from Ira)'s 7aath 0arty and
mobili>ing them under the banner of I+I/$
Iran's regional rival +audi Arabia has repeatedly voiced opposition to any foreign
intervention in Ira), in an apparent message to Tehran$
+audi Arabia and most other 9ulf Arab countries ,ere aghast ,hen the *$+$
occupation after +addam's fall in 2""= brought about elections that empo,ered Ira)'s
+hi'ite ma(ority$
%Reporting by 4ehrdad 7alali, -riting by -illiam 4aclean? 8diting by on 7oyle&