IRNA – Iraqi Defense Minister Erfan al-Hiyali said his government will not permit any political side to partition Iraq because martyrs sacrificed their lives to protect the unity of Iraq and we will use their past experience to build a better future.


He made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.

Iraqi government and people will not forget those countries that supported Iraq against Daesh and in the meantime those countries that dispatched terrorists to Iraq, the defense minister said.

He pointed to the role of all Iraqi sects in fighting terrorism and said that there is no place for division in Iraq after annihilation of Daesh.

Daesh related cells will be eliminated soon, the Iraqi defense official added.

Pointing to Popular Mobilization Forces (al-Hashd al-Shaabi) heroic role in fighting terrorists, he said that nobody is permitted to dismiss popular forces because they act based on law.

Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Iraqi counterpart here on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defense and military cooperation.

The expansion of cooperation and sharing experiences in the fields of fight against terrorism and extremism, border security, training, logistics, technical and military supports were included in the MoU.

Major General al-Hiyali, heading a high-ranking Iraqi defense delegation, arrived in Tehran on Saturday at invitation of Brigadier General Dehqan.