“The United States does not seek to eradicate the DAESH (ISIS),” Shamkhani said in a meeting with the visiting President of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq Ammar Hakim in Tehran.

Rather, he went on to say, Washington wants to use ISIS as a propaganda tool to give legitimacy to its long-term influence in the Middle East and Islamic countries.

He further urged the Iraqi army and government to take advantage of their full capacity and that of the popular forces to put an end to the danger of this regional threat.

Hakim, for his part, appreciated the supports provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, for Iraq in the fight against Takfiri terrorism and in restoration of peace.

Baghdad welcomes cooperation and interaction with its neighboring countries against terrorist groups, he noted.

Since June 2014, Iraq has witnessed a fresh wave of violence after militants from the ISIS terrorist group took control of large swaths of the war-stricken country.