Iran Says No Plans To Send Troops To Iraq But Would Send Weapons

An Iranian official says Tehran has no plans to send troops to Iraq but could provide Baghdad with weapons if requested to "fight against terrorism."

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahiyan said on July 1 during a visit to Moscow that "Iraq has strong armed forces and powerful military hardware" and has not yet requested arms from Iran.

But he said Iran would provide the "required weapons" in accordance with "international rules and existing agreements" if such a request was made by Baghdad officials.

Abdollahiyan added that events in Iraq happened as a result of "foreign interference" and are a "project of U.S. foreign planning."

He said the United States has orchestrated events in Iraq in order to "turn the country into a second Ukraine."

Based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax