YOU'LL NEVER READ OR HEAR ABOUT THIS IN U.S. MEDIA: U.S. IS IRAQ'S TOP PROBLEM

TEHRAN: Iran's supreme leader told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki yesterday that the presence of US forces in Iraq was the biggest obstacle to its development as a united country.

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hit out at the "occupiers" in Iraq at a time when Baghdad is negotiating with US on a new agreement aimed at giving a legal basis for US troops to stay in Iraq after December 31, when their UN mandate expires.

"The presence of occupiers in Iraq, particularly the US armed forces ... is the main obstacle to unity in Iraq," state radio quoted Khamenei, Shi'ite Iran's top authority, as saying.

He accused them of using their military and security powers to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs but that the "Americans' dreams" in the Middle East country would not be realised.

In Washingon, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack however, said when asked if he thought Iraq could resist Iranian pressure not to make such a deal with US: "Iraq is a sovereign state that is going to act in its national interest."