Iranian ambassador says U.S. "likely" to remove military bases in Iraq

The U.S. military bases in Iraq will be probably shut down in the future, the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, Iraj Masjedi, was quoted as saying by Tehran Times daily on Wednesday.

Masjedi made the remarks on Tuesday about political developments in neighboring Iraq.

He said Iraq is currently seeking to create a balance between the "two main actors," namely Iran and the United States, and is trying to "utilize the capabilities of the two countries."

Neither Iran nor the United States can be removed from Iraq, he added.

Iran has insisted removal of the U.S. bases from Iraq, citing them as a security threat to the Islamic republic.

(CGTN)