The Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei has said that the Iranian and Iraqi nations are connected through faith and that an enemy plot seeking to sow discord between the two will fail.

“Iran and Iraq are two nations whose hearts & souls are tied together through faith in God, love for Imam Hussein and the progeny of the Prophet (PBUH). This bond will grow stronger day by day,” the Leader’s official Twitter account cited Ayatollah Khamenei as saying on Sunday.

“Enemies seek to sow discord but they’ve failed and their conspiracy won’t be effective,” the tweet added.

The Leader’s remarks comes as millions of pilgrims from Iraq, Iran and around the world are preparing to travel to the holy Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala to attend Arba’een, marking the 40th day after the martyrdom of the third Shia Imam, Hussein ibn Ali (Peace be upon him).

The gathering usually attracts more than 20 million participants every year.

Iraqis take pride in hosting pilgrims participating in Arba’een, many of which are from Iran. The event has consequently turned into a symbol of unity between the people of the two countries who deeply venerate Imam Hussein.

The comments also come against the backdrop of several days of protests against mismanagement and corruption in Iraq, with certain demonstrations descending into violence and clashes.

According to a report released recently by Iraqi media, the protests were designed by the embassies of the UK, US, and the Netherlands in Iraq just before the Arba’een procession, in which millions of Muslims and non-Muslims take part annually, in a bid to create instability and push certain political agendas in the country.

Also, the Iraqi Interior and Health Ministries have said in statements that “a group of rioters” had infiltrated the protests and were leading them.

Source: Iranian Agencies