Iran news/Middle East: Mohammad Ali al-Hakim told reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. has unilaterally imposed sanctions against Iran, therefore the Iraqi government is not obliged to implement the sanctions.
Al-Hakim said possible ways have been proposed to keep open trading channels with Iran, including the use of the Iraqi currency (Dinar) in bilateral exchanges.
Trade exchanges between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq amounts to $12 billion a year.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has recently expressed hope in a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih in Tehran that the value of trade between the two countries would increase to $20 billion annually.
Iraq meets part of its energy needs, including electricity and gas from Iranian imports.
Last week, Iraq's Minister of Electricity Luay Al Khateeb signed a deal with the Iranian Minister of Energy Reza Ardakanian in Baghdad to promote bilateral cooperation.
Meanwhile, Hamam al-Hamoudi, the head of Iraq's Supreme Islamic Council has recently stressed that Iraq will not take part in any way in the unfair and illegal US sanctions against Iran.
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