Ali Mousavi, the spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maleki has rejected claims by an American newspaper that Iraq is assisting Iran to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
AFP reports that Ali Mousavi said on Monday that Iraq’s commercial dealings with Iran are much less than one would expect between two neighbouring countries and The New York Times is wrong when it claims Iran is exporting its oil through Iraq.
He stressed that Iran-Iraq relations are open and clear and there are no secret dealings between the two countries.
The New York Times recently published an article alleging Iraq is assisting the Islamic Republic to circumvent international sanctions.
The report indicated that Iraqi officials look the other way when it comes to commercial deals with Iran, and many officials closely linked to Nouri Al-Maleki are making large profits from these deals.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government has put the Elaf Islamic Bank on its blacklist, confirming suspicions about Iraqi assistance to Iran.