Iran’s foreign minister said Sunday that his country is coordinating with Iraq to establish a special mechanism for holding funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at Shia holy shrines in Iraq.
Abbas Araghchi’s remarks came at a joint news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein during his visit in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, without providing further details on the ceremonies.
Araghchi said he held “good talks” in Iraq, adding that he briefed Hussein on developments regarding negotiations with the US and the Strait of Hormuz.
“The strait remains under Iranian control and things will return to normal after all obstacles are removed,” he said.
Hussein, for his part, said “the war is still ongoing in Hormuz” despite a recent memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington.
“Iraq rejects wars and supports resolving disputes through negotiations,” he stressed.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz “was one of the reasons for the inability to export Iraqi oil, and it had a significant impact on the economy,” he stated.
The Iraqi foreign minister said Baghdad maintains excellent relations with both Washington and Tehran, expressing Iraq’s readiness to support efforts aimed at ending the conflict definitively.
Earlier on Sunday, Araghchi began an official visit of unspecified duration to Baghdad, which comes amid rising escalation between Iran and the US.
The US military’s Central Command said Saturday that it had carried out strikes against multiple targets in Iran after Tehran’s latest attack on a commercial ship near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched missile and drone strikes targeting eight US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain in response to the US attacks.
On June 18, the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at reaching a lasting peace agreement, and started talks on June 21 to implement its provisions and end their war.
*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul