Iranian Foreign Minister Assistant Acknowledges: Iranian Planes Launched Raids On / IS / In Iraq

BAGHDAD / NINA / Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Ibrahim Rahimpour admitted that Iran launched air strikes on sites for the Islamic State (IS) in eastern Iraq in coordination with the Iraqi government, without coordination with the Americans. Guardian newspaper quoted Rahimpour as saying that "the air strikes were to defend the interests of our friends in Iraq and in coordination with the Iraqi government without the Americans." He stressed that "Iran will not allow the deterioration of the situation in Iraq, which is the closest to us, as happened in Syria, and our help to Iraq is certainly stronger than Syria." The Iranian Assistant Chief of Staff denied Iran's cooperation with the international coalition in the bombing of the (IS) organization's sites. / End