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Iran Accuses Iraq of Sowing Discord in Iran-Arab Ties
Iran on Monday denounced Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's remarks on Iran-Arab relations as sowing discord in ties between Iran and Arab countries.
An Iraqi television station reported Sunday that Saddam told a cabinet meeting that Iran is the source of all enmity toward Arabs.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi rejected the assertions made by Saddam as "baseless and racist."
He said that it seems that Iraqi officials are not aware of the amity and brotherhood that exist between the Iranians and Arabs and have needlessly tried to sow the seeds of discord between Iran and Arab countries.
He stressed that Iran-Arab ties are based on brotherly relations and deep religious, historical and cultural ties.
Iran and Iraq fought a bloody war from 1980 to 1988, which claimed some 1 million lives of both sides.
Iran and Iraq have yet to sign a formal peace treaty ending the war. The issue of prisoners of war and the presence of opposition groups on each other's territory are among obstacles to the normalization of bilateral ties.
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