Zarif receives UN special envoy to Iraq

Mohammad Javad Zarif and the UN special representative for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, held a meeting in Tehran on Sunday, and exchanged views about a plethora of issues, including the latest developments in the Middle East and Iraq.

During the meeting, the two diplomats highlighted the importance of efforts to establish stability and security in Iraq.

The two sides also stressed the need to continue the military campaign against the remnants of ISIL terrorist group after its collapse in the Arab country.

The diplomats also called for the participation of all political groups and factions in the upcoming parliamentary elections of Iraq.

ISIL militants made swift advances in northern and western Iraq over the summer of 2014, after capturing large areas of Syria.

But the timely support by Iran helped Syria and Iraq fight off ISIL. In addition, the formation of military units by volunteers in Iraq, known as Hashd al-Shaabi or Popular Mobilization Units, blunted the edge of ISIL offensive and later made the terror group withdraw from much of the territories it had occupied.

/SR