Obama warns Iran fighters in Iraq must respect its sovereignty

(Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama warned Iran on Tuesday that its fighters must respect Iraq's sovereignty and report to Baghdad in the region-wide battle against Islamic State militants

Iran-backed Shi'ite militias have played a major role in battling the Sunni group, an al Qaeda offshoot that emerged from the chaos in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Obama said he and Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi discussed the issue at length in their Oval Office meeting.

He said it was clear that Iraq and Iran would have an important relationship because they shared a border and noted the Shi'ite militias mobilized when Islamic State was surging and the Iraqi government was still getting organized.

"Once Prime Minister Abadi took power ... from that point on, any foreign assistance that is helping to defeat ISIL has to go through the Iraqi government. That's how you respect Iraqi sovereignty," Obama said.

"It needs to be help that is not simply coordinated with the Iraqi government but ultimately is answerable to the Iraqi government and is funneled through the chain of command."  Read More

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