Qalibaf made the remarks in a message posted on his X account on Wednesday during his visit to Iraq, paying tribute to former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and former Deputy Chief of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were assassinated in a US airstrike in Baghdad in January 2020.

Addressing the two commanders, Qalibaf said their struggle and sacrifice have contributed to the developments taking shape in the region.

“Dear Abu Mahdi and Haj Qassem! This is the very fruit of your struggle and your blessed blood. In the new regional order, the intervention of foreign powers in relations among countries is rapidly declining,” he wrote.

“The US is seeking an honorable exit from the region, and the Zionist regime’s ‘From the River to the Sea’ project has also turned into a futile dream,” Qalibaf added.

“Our brotherhood is our strength,” he noted, pointing to the close relations between Iran and Iraq.