Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani called for efforts to expedite the implementation of the Iraqi parliament’s resolution on the expulsion of foreign forces, describing it as a great stride in improving regional security and stability.

In a meeting with the chairman of Hashd al-Sha’abi Falih al-Fayyadh, held in Tehran on Saturday, Shamkhani said rapid action in carrying out the Iraqi parliament’s resolution on the eviction of foreign troops in a complete and accurate manner will dramatically reduce the security and political tensions in Iraq and mark a major stride in the promotion of regional stability and security.

Highlighting the influential role of Hashd al-Sha’abi (Popular Mobilization Units) in ensuring Iraq’s security and stability, Shamkhani stressed the need for closer coordination between the PMU and the Iraqi army.

Solidarity among the Iraqi people, government and armed forces is the prelude to sustainable security in the Arab country, he added.

Shamkhani also described the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iraq as a major event that would maintain democracy and stabilize the political role of Iraqi people in deciding their own fate, stressing that vigilance and solidarity among the Iraqi political, religious and ethnic groups will prevent foreign interference in such a major event.

For his part, Fayyadh congratulated Iran on its successful presidential election, saying the Islamic Republic’s political and security stability will help preserve sustainable security in the region.

He also described Hashd al-Sha’abi as a legal organization that complements the Iraqi army, saying the existence of such a unit that signifies the participation of people in ensuing their security has disappointed the enemies and terrorist groups seeking to incite insecurity and instability in Iraq.

In January 2020, Iraq’s parliament passed a resolution calling on the government to end all foreign troop presence in Iraq, as backlash grew after the American assassination of top Iranian military commander Lt. General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad.