Iran def. min., SNSC chief hail full liberation of Iraq’s Mosul

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan sent two separate messages on Sunday to Hadi al-Ameri, a senior commander of the Iraqi volunteer forces, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, and Iraqi Defense Minister Erfan Mahmoud al-Hayali.

In his message to Ameri, the Iranian defense minister said the complete liberation of the historical city of Mosul from the control of Daesh terrorist group brought happiness to all advocates and supporters of stability, peace and security in Iraq, particularly the Iraqi nation, government and the armed forces.

It was impossible to achieve such victories in Iraq without the sincerity, bravery and devotion of the volunteer forces under the leadership of top Shia clerics and the country’s brave commanders, he added.

The Iranian defense minister also offered his congratulations to Hayali and the Iraqi government, people and the armed forces.

“This major victory thwarted plots [hatched] by the US and the Zionist regime [of Israel],” Dehqan said.

He expressed hope that it would lead to the complete defeat of the arrogant system’s strategy of waging proxy wars in the region.

Shamkhani congratulates Iraq PM, Ayat. Sistani on Mosul liberation

In a related development, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani extended his messages of felicitation to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, over the Iraqis’ success to completely take over Mosul from Daesh terrorists.

Shamkhani said the great victory in Mosul was achieved thanks to the leadership of top Shia clerics, prudence of the Iraqi government and bravery of the country’s army and popular forces.

It has been once again proved that the use of Iraq’s domestic capacities was a “successful and reliable” experience in the fight against terrorism, he added.

The SNSC secretary emphasized that despite the demand of certain powers and regional countries who were interested in the “long-term existence of contained terrorism in Iraq,” the liberation of Mosul and restoration of security to the city brought happiness to the country’s people.

He added, however, that the roots of terror-nurturing ideology still remain in the region and the sentiments of the youth are abused by the intelligence services of extra-regional countries and the rulers of some regional states.

Under such circumstances, it is necessary to pay attention to the “cultural and intellectual confrontation with terrorism more than security and military confrontation” with it, the senior Iranian official pointed out.

The prime minister of Iraq on Sunday announced final “victory” over the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Mosul after eight months of combat against the extremists, which has left parts of the country’s second largest city in ruins.

The recapture of Mosul, located some 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad, would mark the effective end of Daesh in the Arab country.