The former Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has said Baghdad will never join a coalition with US or Saudi Arabia against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran Press/Iran news: In an interview with IRIB's "Without Borders" talk show, the former Iraqi PM reiterated that an Arab NATO against Iran will certainly be defeated. Maliki said: "United States-Saudi axis wants to stand against Iran with the idea of ??forming an "Arab NATO", but they will never succeed."

The former Iraqi prime minister said Iraq will never allow any country to use its territory as a base for action against its friend and neighbour, the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Nouri al-Maliki called America's unilateral sanctions against Iran 'immoral and a blatant violation of international law' and insisted that US sanctions won't bring Iran to its knees and will not work.

On 8 May, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of a nuclear deal struck by Iran and six world powers known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The US president also reinstated sanctions already lifted under the JCPOA and vowed to impose the highest level of economic ban on Iran. The second round of US sanctions against Iran targeting Iranian oil exports, shipping, aviation industry and banking sector went into effect on 5 November.

Trump's withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal was condemned internationally. In particular, all the signatories to the deal opposed America's withdrawal and tried to convince Trump to stick to the JCPOA.

Iran plays a crucial role in countering US-Saudi-Zionist plots in the region.

 

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in an interview with CBS News on Oct 29, 2018 said that US support for Saudi Arabia and Israel has allowed them to act with impunity.

"I think the blanket support that the US provides to Saudi Arabia and to Israel has enabled them to carry out atrocities that would not have happened, had there not existed this blanket support," Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

Iran's FM criticises US for giving impunity to Saudi Arabia and Israel

Iran's Foreign Minister also said US choices have consistently destabilized the Middle East over the past two decades.

"The United States' choices in the Middle East are wrong, and these wrong choices lead to the disaster in our region," Zarif added. "We knew that the invasion of Iraq was the wrong choice, although Saddam regime was our enemy. We knew that the attack against Afghanistan was the wrong choice although Taliban were our enemy. We know that the invasion and attack, bombardment of Yemen are wrong choices. But the United States is continuously and persistently on the wrong side."

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