Message from Iran to Iraq: Even one American is too much for you

"The United States is an unreliable friend. Iraq should not allow American troops on its territory" - said the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the President of Iraq Latif Rashid last night, reported Reuters.

Iran, which has strong ties to Iraq, opposes the US military presence on its borders with Iraq and the Persian Gulf, arguing that Western military intervention is at the root of insecurity and instability in the region.

"The Americans are not friends of Iraq. The Americans are not friends of anyone and they are not even loyal to their European friends," Khamenei was quoted as saying by the country's state media.

US national security agencies are investigating the leak of classified documents, according to which the US is spying on its allies, including Ukraine, Reuters recalls.

"Even the presence of one American in Iraq is too much," Khamenei told Rashid, who was in Tehran with a delegation. The purpose of his visit was to strengthen ties between the two neighboring countries.

The US maintains about 2,500 troops in Iraq on the grounds that they are helping local troops fight the Islamic State group, which seized territory in the country in 2014.