London (CNN) Under no circumstances will Iraq allow the United States to use its bases in Iraq to launch an attack on neighboring Iran, Iraq's President Barham Salih told CNN.

"We do not want our territory to be a staging post for any hostile action against any of our neighbors, including Iran," Salih said in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour in London on Tuesday.

"This is definitely not part of the agreement between the Iraqi government and the United States."

In an interview with CBS in February, US President Trump said that "one of the reasons" he wanted to keep a base in Iraq was to "be looking a little bit at Iran, because Iran is a real problem." (When asked if he meant that his intention was to be able to attack Iran, he said, "No... all I want to do be able to watch.")

Iraq is in a near unique position: Allied with the US, host to American military bases, and yet with close ties to neighboring Iran.

Read More