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Iraqi president does not rule out ‘reset’ in relations with Russia, Iran

The president also said that he was concerned about the current state of relations between the United States and Iran

WASHINGTON, October 28. /TASS/. Iraqi President Barham Salih did not rule out that Baghdad could "recalibrate" its relations with other countries, including Russia and Iran.

"Allies of the United States are worried about the dependability of the United States," the Axios news website quotes him as saying in an interview published on Sunday.

According to the news website, referring to relations with Washington, Salih used the words "recalibrate" or "rethink" several times. He did not rule out that the withdrawal of US troops from the Middle East could result in "a recalibration" of relations with Russia and Iran.

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"Of course, [there are] many actors in this neighborhood. I’m not one of those, again, who goes and [says] to the Americans or the Russians, 'if you are not doing this for me, I'm gonna go the other way round.' [But] we need to think of our own priorities, and I've been very clear about it," he said.

The president added that he was concerned about the current state of relations between the United States and Iran. According to Salih, Iraq cannot choose between Washington and Tehran.

"Iran is a neighbor of ours. <…> And we cannot wish Iran ill. It's not in our interests. <…> The United States is an important ally, partner. We want this to continue and we definitely don't want our territory to be used," he explained.

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