Across Asia: Iran

Khamenei slams occupiers

Iran's supreme leader told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki yesterday the main problem facing Iraq was the presence of US and other foreign forces there, Iranian state radio reported.

"The presence of occupiers in Iraq, particularly the US armed forces ... is the main obstacle to unity in Iraq," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's highest authority, was quoted as saying during a meeting with Maliki in Tehran.