TEHRAN- Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, insisted on Sunday that Iraqi soil must not be used to conspire against or threaten its neighbors.

Raisi made the remarks at a meeting with Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Muhammad Saeed al-Abbasi in Tehran.

The president also said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran respects the Iraqi government’s efforts for economic and military reconstruction of the country.”

Iran, he continued, “considers the security of Iraq as its own security and favors the establishment of stability and security in this nation.”

The Iraqi defense minister, for his part, praised Iran for standing by the Iraqi people during the country’s fight against Daesh terrorists and the foreign invasion of the country.

Abbasi added Baghdad will not let opportunistic individuals to threaten Iran’s and Iraq’s borders or territory or to sow unrest.

The defense chief also urged Iran to continue its assistance to restore calm and peace in the war-torn Iraq.

“Teheran, Baghdad stepping up security co-op to face common threats”

In a separate meeting with the Iraqi defense minister on Sunday, Iranian Armed Forces chief Major General Mohammad Baqeri also said Iran and Iraq are increasing security cooperation to ensure regional security and tackle “common challenges.”

General Baqeri asserted that the two nations are working together to combat terrorism. He added the Daesh terrorist group was founded by international powers to seize control of regional governments but the plan was thwarted by collaboration between the Iranian and Iraqi militaries.

The military chief also noted that Iraq may benefit from Iran's expertise as a pioneer in rebuilding and modernizing military and armament infrastructure.

“IRGC prepared to train Iraqi military troops”

The IRGC commander also said his troops are well-prepared to train Iraqi military units.

At a meeting with Abbasi, Major General Hossein Salami called for expansion of military, defense, and security cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad.

General Salami emphasized the value of “stable, safe, and strong neighbors” for Iran, saying that while the Islamic Republic supports a powerful Iraq, the Americans and Zionists want to dominate the region and sow unrest in both Iraq and Iran.

He said the rationale for Iran’s desire for the exit of U.S. forces from the region is that the oppressed regional people must bear the costs of the Americans’ opportunistic ploys, warning that U.S. presence at every corner of the world has engendered instability and security.

For his part, the Iraqi defense minister called for greater collaboration with Iran while the government in Baghdad works to bolster the Arab nation’s military capabilities.

Abbasi also said Iraq is willing to utilize Iran’s experiences in the military and defense sectors and sought stronger cooperation with Iran to increase security along the shared borders.

He also underscored the necessity to dispatch military teams to Iran for training.