David Satterfield, Iraq coordinator and senior adviser to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said that Iran is still considered a threat for Iraq’s security and stability.

He emphasized on long term stay of US forces in Iraq and said: “ The region and Iraq are always facing different threats including the Iranian regime’s threats. To confront this threat, a clear strategy is needed. We do not want Iraq turns into a place for conflicts between Iran and the Arab world or the dispute between Shiites and Sunnis. This is not to the benefit of Iraq, region and even us.

Satterfield emphasized: The US assessment about the flow of Iranian weapons to Iraq and training the militias has not changed at all; the number of IEDs has also increased in recent months and no reduction has been noticed.