After years of strife, Iraq could take on a new role as the region’s peacemaker
Despite its own internal troubles, Iraq could emerge as a hub for conflict mediation. That is the view of western diplomatic and Iraqi government sources who said that Iraq was hosting meetings with diplomats from Iran and regional powers to discuss de-escalating tensions.
The sources told The National that Jordan and Egypt were involved in meetings in Baghdad with Iranian officials.
Saudi officials told Arabic media outlets they had not been involved in any meeting in Iraq. Saudi government officials have not responded to a request for comment from The National.
Meetings “focused on reducing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia”, a western diplomat told The National.
Those involved were “senior officials, rather than ministers”, the diplomat said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi led the discussions, the source said.
An Iraqi government source said talks took place.
“Baghdad did indeed host talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran earlier this month,” he said.
“This is in Iraq’s interest.” Last Saturday, Mr Al Kadhimi spoke with religious scholars and said Iraq was “playing a historic role in bringing together and aligning regional views”.
“We must all work together to restore the prestige of the state through reconstruction,” he said.
This view resonates with an unconfirmed prior effort by Iraq to mediate regional disputes, under the government of Haider Al Abadi.
In August 2017, Qasim Al Araji, a former interior minister who was once a member of the Iran-backed Badr Organisation, returned from a visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
“Calm and stability and the return of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia will have positive repercussions on the region as a whole,” Mr Al Araji told Iraqi news site Al Ghadeer.
The alleged meetings in the Iraqi capital came weeks before the start of talks in Europe aimed at salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
Iran agreed to strict limits on uranium enrichment and to international inspections by the UN atomic energy body in exchange for lifting international sanctions.
US President Joe Biden has said he wants to revive the deal that former president Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018.
The talks made progress in Vienna last week, officials from Europe, Iran and China all said, but there is still some way to go.
In late March and early April, Mr Al Kadhimi visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia to boost economic, political and social relations with Gulf states.
Iraq has close ties with Iran, but Mr Al Kadhimi’s push to improve links in the Gulf has placed it in a strong mediating position between Riyadh and Tehran, a European diplomat in Iraq told The National.
“It could be an important development for the region and for Iraq itself,” the diplomat said. Baghdad has been working to restore ties with its regional neighbours since the US-led invasion of 2003.
Senior Iraqi, Jordanian and Egyptian ministers have met several times in recent months to discuss security, economic and cultural ties.