Aug 25, 2021: Iraq has invited Iran and Tehran’s Gulf Arab enemies to a summit in Baghdad aimed at easing tensions that have brought them closer to open conflict in recent years.
Officials say the meetings to be held in Iraq, will also discuss the war in Yemen, the collapse of Lebanon and the regional water crisis. The talks could be a positive step towards Saudi-Iranian relations, although they have not yet said what representation they will send.
Relations between the two arch rivals further strained after a 2019 assault on Saudi oil plants that briefly knocked out half of Saudi oil production. Riyadh blamed the attack on Iran, a charge rejected by Iran.
The two countries are aligned with rival forces fighting a war in Yemen and severed ties in 2016, although they resumed direct talks in Iraq in April this year.
Iraq’s initiative may present a positive means of diffusing regional tensions since Saudi Arabia, concerned that the Biden administration has revived nuclear talks which could lead to an easing of sanctions on Tehran, sees engagement as a way to contain tensions without abandoning its security concerns over attacks that it blames on Iran and its allies.
Officials in Iraq hope that Iran’s new hardline President Ebrahim Raisi will attend the meeting, planned for Saturday, and expect ministers from Gulf States including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will also come.
According to Iraq’s PM Mustafa al-Kadhmimi, “Even if we bring the foreign ministers together at one table this could be considered a breakthrough to end the tensions between Iranians and the Gulf Arabs.”
According to a political source close to the prime minister of Iraq, said they had received “positive signals” from Tehran and Gulf Arab countries that they were ready for more direct talks.
So far Kuwait has been the only Gulf state to confirm its representation via their PM.
Egypt and Jordan, both allies of the Gulf Arab monarchies, have been invited to the Iraq meeting along with Turkey and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Riyadh and Tehran began direct talks in April to contain tensions while global powers held negotiations on reviving a 2015 nuclear pact with Iran, which Saudi Arabia and its allies opposed for not addressing Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and regional proxies.
On its part, Saudi Arabia has said it wants to see “verifiable deeds” from Iran. Earlier this month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said an “emboldened” Iran was acting in a negative manner around the Middle East, including in Yemen and Lebanon and in regional waters.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, an ally of Riyadh, has been in regular contact with Iran trying to de-escalate tensions since 2019 following tanker attacks in Gulf waters.
Efforts similar to the talks being brokered by Iraq could be stepped up as Gulf Arab states, which have long leaned on Washington to guarantee their security, view with concern its renewed nuclear talks with Tehran and the chaotic end to its two-decade war in Afghanistan.
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