New PM of Iraq: We won’t be part of sanctions against Iran

Iraq’s New Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mehdi held his first cabinet meeting on Thursday evening and announced afterwards that they will not be part of the embargo and sanctions the US imposes upon Iran. 

Adil Abdul Mehdi took over the office of the Prime Minister from Haidar Al-Abadi on Thursday, and held his first cabinet meeting later that day. 

The Iraqi PM issued a statement after the cabinet meeting. On the unilateral embargo against Iran by the US, Abdul Mehdi said: “As I stated in the Parliament, Iraq won’t be part of the order of embargos. Iraq herself has suffered embargos quite a lot, and our objection to embargos is a general principle. 

MESSAGE TO NEIGHBORS 

Abdul Mehdi said the country won’t be part of attacks against another country either: “We want Iraq to be far away from interventions against another country, be it neighbor or otherwise. Iraq wants to maintain its own interests and independence, that is what our stand against embargos will be based on. 

Adil Abdul Mehdi was tasked with forming the new government on October 2. The cabinet he proposed on Wednesday was voted on and accepted in the Iraqi Parliament. 

220 MPs attended the vote where 14 ministers out of the 22 Abdul Mehdi proposed received votes of confidence while 8 failed. 

There will be another vote on November 5 after new ministers are appointed to replace the 8 who didn’t receive votes of confidence. 

Abdul Mehdi proposed a 5-year plan in the speech he gave in the Parliament which gathered for the declaration of the government.

The plan includes short, mid and long term goals for foreign and domestic policy, the economy and the Ministries.