"We have nothing to do with the bombing of the US embassy in Baghdad, and we do not back any side standing behind these attacks," Masjedi told the Al Iraqiya broadcaster late on Monday.
Tehran would not interfere in the internal affairs of Iraq or "impose its policies," the ambassador highlighted, noting that the military escalation between Iran and the United States had decreased following Tehran’s response to the assassination of senior Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.
"Revenge for the murder of Qasem Soleimani does not have to be military, as the withdrawal of the American forces from the region is tantamount to retaliation," Masjedi added.
The ambassador noted that Iran and Iraq have been cooperating in prosecuting those involved in the killing of Soleimani and Shia militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in early January of 2020.
Baghdad’s so-called green zone – home to the US embassy – comes under occasional rocket attacks on account of it being the location where government buildings and foreign embassies are situated. The zone is also not far from the Baghdad International Airport, which is adjacent to a military airfield. As a rule, such incidents do not result in civilian casualties and do not entail significant damage.
On January 3, an airstrike ordered by US President Donald Trump on the outskirts of Baghdad killed Soleimani, one of the most prominent military figures in Iran, and several other members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The assassination prompted Tehran to launch missile strikes on US bases in Iraq. Following the incident, the Iraqi parliament voted to expel all foreign forces from its territory.
