Raisi Talks Up Iran-Iraq Relations, Dismisses Western Role In Region

Abas Aslani at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies tweets a thread on phone call between new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi:

• "Iran president Raisi had a phone talk with Iraq PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi, thanking him for invitation to the upcoming regional summit in Baghdad: "Attending the summit is valuable for us. We always support any initiative stabilizing the situation in Iraq & promoting its role in the region...Iraq's initiative to hold a summit of neighbors will bring significant achievements. 1st achievement will be showing Iraq's role & power in the region. 2nd will be bringing authority for the region itself & that regional countries can resolve their issues...As much as we believe in engaging and interacting with all countries, we emphasize the fact that only countries in the region can decide the fate of the region."
• Not clear at present whether Raisi will attend the summit in person.
• Comment regarding countries in the region deciding fate of the region a thinly-veiled criticism of Western powers actions not only in Middle East, but in the collapse of the gov't of Afghanistan. Yesterday Raisi stated that the US 'defeat' in Afghanistan should "revive life, security and lasting peace" in Afghanistan, but there remain major concerns in Tehran about significant refugee and migrant flows over the Iranian-Afghan border following the Taliban takeover.