CAIRO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday warned Iran against interfering in Iraqi internal affairs in an exclusive interview with Moustafa Bakri, chief-editor of Egypt's al-Esbou weekly.

    Asked about Iran's role in Iraq, Mubarak said that Tehran planned to secure footholds in Iraq and across the region and warned that Iraq could disintegrate into warring cantons due to regional and international interference, the official news agency MENA reported.

    "I tell all parties, take your hands off Iraq. Iraq is capable of re-uniting if regional and international powers stop interference in its internal affairs," Mubarak said.

    Likewise, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit also called for protecting Iraq's territorial integrity and the security and stability of its people, saying, "Egypt rejects any attempts to divide Iraq."

    In a statement to Turkish daily Zaman, Abul Gheit, who began a two-day visit to Turkey late Thursday, urged the neighbors of Iraq to stay out and not to interfere in Iraqi domestic affairs.

    Armed men of Iraqi Shiites, brought to power by the U.S. invasion and allegedly backed by Iran, were blamed for the widespread killings of Sunnis that have pushed the country close to civil war.