Stop Fundamentalism – A prominent Arab daily, Al-Hayat, on May 5 accused Iran of trying to establish a “strategic position†in the Gulf region by dominating Iraq with the support of Iraqi political parties which it backs.
Tehran’s rulers were working relentlessly to take advantage of the political situation in Iraq by making sure that groups they support and fund come to power, the daily al-Hayat wrote in its Thursday edition.
The daily said that Iran was hoping to dominate “the region which is known in the Western world as the Eastern Gate.â€
Iraq has also expressed concern about troop build-ups by both Iranian and Turkish forces along their borders with Iraq.
Outgoing foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari said Iran had been told of Iraqi concerns but said his country wanted to resolve any problems through dialogue.
Recent weeks have seen a number of cross-border bombardments by Iranian troops along Iraq’s north-east border, directed against Iranian Kurdish opposition groups taking refuge in the Iraqi Kurdish area.
Al-Hurra an Iraqi television station reported on May 4 that Hassan Kazemi Ghomi, Iran’s new ambassador appointee, received Iraq’s objection with regards to Iranian troops’ activities on the border with Iraq.
The report says, “Upon presenting his credentials to the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, the Minister conveyed the concerns of the Iraqi Parliament to Kazemi Ghomi.
