CNN —Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei decried the presence of the US military in Iraq during a meeting with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid in Tehran on Saturday. “The presence of even one American in Iraq is too much,” Khamenei said, Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported. “The United States will continue to strengthen and broaden our partnerships in support of Iraqi security, stability and sovereignty,” Austin said during his Baghdad visit. Growing tensionsIraq plays a crucial role for the United States in containing Iran’s influence in the region. Tensions between the United States and Iran are also growing over Tehran’s actions in Syria.

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