Iraqi sovereignty must be respected and weapons kept by the state, the country’s senior Shiite cleric told visiting President Hassan Rouhani.
In the first meeting between an Iranian president and Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, the religious leader highlighted the importance of fighting corruption, improving services and keeping arms in "the hands of the state and its security services".
The Shiite cleric, 88, welcomed “any steps to strengthen Iraq’s relations with its neighbours, based on respect for the sovereignty of the countries and no interference in domestic affairs”.
Mr Al Sistani is hardly ever seen in public and rarely holds meetings with officials. In 2008 he refused to meet former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his visit to Iraq.
While his views, always delivered through intermediaries, barely weigh in on Iraq’s political scene they have great influence in public opinion.
The meeting, conducted in Farsi, reflects a new pattern in Mr Al Sistani’s politics, tweeted Harith Hasan of the Carnegie Middle East Centre.
“It indicates that Najaf has become a player in transnational Shia politics, including internal Iranian dynamics,” Mr Hasan said.
He said it was also Mr Rouhani’s attempt “to rebuild his political capital, which was harmed by the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal".
Tehran has relied more on neighbouring Iraq since US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal and impose sanctions.
After former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003, Iran saw the opportunity to dominate politics in Baghdad through allies in government and parliament, which have considerable influence over parts of the country’s security forces.
Mr Al Sistani called on Iraqis to take up arms against ISIS in 2014, giving rise to more paramilitary militias also known as Hashed Al Shaabi, which include Iranian-backed Shiite groups.
Although they played an important role in defeating ISIS, the Hashed are deeply divisive and have been accused of abuse against Iraqi minorities in areas recaptured from the extremists.
Some of these militias have since been placed under the command of regular Iraqi forces and several former fighters are now members of the Iraqi Parliament
Mr Rouhani, who completed his first trip to Iraq since becoming president in 2013, spoke of Iran's relations with its neighbour, saying they could not be prepared to have ties to "an aggressor country like America".
Iran and Iraq signed several preliminary trade accords on Monday, Iraqi officials said, including deals on oil, health and a railway linking the southern Iraqi oil city of Basra and an Iranian border town.
There are also concerns about its links to Iran.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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More on Quran memorisation:
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Mobile phone packages comparison
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
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PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
