Iran to stand by Iraqi side in fighting terrorism: official

(Xinhua) -- Iran will stand by Iraq in fighting terrorism at its request, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Alalam TV on Thursday.

"If Iraq asks (for help), we will send military equipment to Iraq within the framework of international laws and contracts," Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying.

He said Iran has not received such a request yet, adding that " Iraq has the required ability itself" to deal with the conflicts inside the country.

The remarks by Iranian Foreign Ministry official came in reaction to a Wednesday report by The New York Times as it said Iran is sending drones and military equipment secretly into Iraq to help the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.

Tehran has set up a special control center at Al Rashid airfield in Baghdad and it is directing surveillance drones over Iraq, The New York Times said in its website, quoting American officials.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham on Wednesday denied the presence of any Iranian military officials in Iraq, dismissing such claims as "not true."