Despite the silence of the media, the news seems true: this month a meeting was held in Baghdad between Iranians and Saudis with Iraqi mediation. Preparations for this summit would begin during Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi’s trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in early April. Official Iranian and Iraqi sources confirmed that the meeting did indeed take place and that negotiations have begun.
Iran is threatened by Israeli attacks on its nuclear reactors, while the Saudis need to disengage from US strategy in the Middle East. Both sides want to reduce tensions in the region. Iraj Masjedi, the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, in a statement to the official news agency in Tehran (Irna) said that “the Islamic Republic supports the mediation of Baghdad to bring Iran closer to the countries with which problems have occurred. which led to a cooling of relationships. The Iraqi authorities have been informed of the matter ”.
In the eye of the storm
This is the first round of negotiations, but they are still a long way from putting an end to the tensions. There are still many political obstacles ranging from Yemen, via Iraq, to Syria and Lebanon.
While Washington is busy resurrecting the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran and the Saudis attempt to end the war in Yemen, Al Kadhimi is looking to play the role of mediator before his visit to the United States. According to Sarkut Shamsuddinun, a member of the Iraqi parliamentary coalition Future, “in the rewriting of a new strategy for the Middle East by the United States, Al Kadhimi wants to discuss what Washington should offer Iraq”, which is in the eye of the cyclone. What will relations with Washington be like after the withdrawal of the troops?
(Translation by Francesco De Lellis)
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