Barham Salih on Iraq’s Role in U.S.-Iran Tensions

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Do you feel the escalation and can it threaten Iraq itself?

BARHAM SALIH, IRANIAN PRESIDENT: We are truly concerned with the escalation and we are concerned about the ramification for Iraq. Iraq has been going through hell over the past four decades. Latest episode of conflict was the devastating war with ISIS. We want to focus on reconstruction, reconciliation and we want to move on. Yet, we are being dragged into book these dynamics of conflict. And I say to all the actors in the region as well as to the global actors that Iraq security, Iraq’s stability is important, vital and it should not be under estimated the success we have achieved. Defeating ISIS with the support of the United States and the international coalition, with the support of our neighbors has been monumental success. It should not be under estimated and it should be protected, not squandered.

AMANPOUR: What do you make of President Trump announcing that he stood back from ordering a strike, a retaliatory strike on Iran?

AMANPOUR: Obviously, we’re happy that war has been averted. This part of the world has been going through cycles of conflict for so many years. We don’t need another war. And there is no military solution to this problem. There are serious problems affecting regional order in the Middle East and this is nothing new. We have reached a new heightened state of, I would say, tension, escalation. At the end of the day, the parties need to sit down together and focus on what is important, really combatting violent extremism, focusing on regional integration, and economic issues, think about the Middle East and the legions of unemployed youth who are demanding jobs, who are demanding education, who are demanding a fair share of resources of the nations. This is not the way to go forward. That — this part of the world needs fundamental solutions, not another war.

AMANPOUR: Well, and you would be in the best place to know that given the misguided war, it turns out, that happened in Iraq in 2003. But I want to ask you, because if military intervention has been, at least, postponed for now, the war of words is ramping up between not just the governments but between the presidents now. President Trump saying things about Iran. And now, the latest, President Rouhani in a rather uncharacteristic outburst, calling the White House mentally retarded for its actions and its announcement of brand-new sanctions. How do you analyze that outburst on a televised address? Is Iran feeling the pressure?

SALIH: No doubt Iran is hurting. I mean, the sanctions are hurting and this escalation is hurting the entire region not just Iran,