Iraqi officials and spiritual authorities have informed Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri that "it is not true that Iraqi Shiites are under Iran's influence."

"The Iraqi leadership is keen on relations with neighboring states, but this does not mean that the Iraqi leadership accepts intervention by those neighbors in internal affairs," the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported.

The report quoted Hariri circles as saying he was informed by Iraqi political and spiritual leaders whom he met in Baghdad and Nejef that "what testifies to this trend (of independence and rejecting intervention) is the campaign launched b y Premier Nouri al-Maliki's cabinet "to disarm Shiite militias that maintained tight relations with Iran."

"Iraq is Iraq and Iran is Iran. Baghdad and especially the Shiites of Iraq do not accept succumbing to interests of the Iranian policy," the report added.

Sources quoted Iraqi Shiite authorities as saying to Hariri: "Those who accuse you of being traitors also accuse us of being traitors … we realize what you are going through."