Iraqi-style balancing act: Dealing with Iran without offending the Gulf
The new head of the Iraqi government says he wants to “strengthen his ties” with Arab countries while making signs of closeness with Tehran. In order to turn this great discrepancy into a diplomatic asset, Baghdad will have to give pledges to Riyadh, which is multiplying its promises of investment in Iraq.
L'Orient-Le Jour / By Emmanuel HADDAD,
20 December 2022 18:51
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (right) and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, during a joint press conference in Tehran on Nov. 29, 2022. (Credit: AFP)
Will Tehran and Riyadh talk to each other? This seems to be the question of the second Baghdad conference that opened Tuesday in Amman.Officially, this second summit aims to continue the dialogue that began at the first meeting held in Baghdad in August 2021 around Iraqi security and economic issues between the Gulf countries, France and Iraq, but also Iran and Turkey.French President Emmanuel Macron, who will attend, has also highlighted the need to ease growing tensions in the Kurdish province of northern Iraq, where Iran and Turkey are respectively conducting military campaigns against the Kurdish minority.But for its part, Iraq also hopes to bring its rival neighbors to the same table to revive its stance as a mediator. For now, nothing is less certain.While Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is expected to be present,...
Will Tehran and Riyadh talk to each other? This seems to be the question of the second Baghdad conference that opened Tuesday in Amman.Officially, this second summit aims to continue the dialogue that began at the first meeting held in Baghdad in August 2021 around Iraqi security and economic issues between the Gulf countries, France and Iraq, but also Iran and Turkey.French President Emmanuel Macron, who will attend, has also highlighted the need to ease growing tensions in the Kurdish province of northern Iraq, where Iran and Turkey are respectively conducting military campaigns against the Kurdish minority.But for its part, Iraq also hopes to bring its rival neighbors to the same table to revive its stance as a mediator. For now, nothing is less certain.While Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is expected to be...
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When power pivots overnight in the Middle East, context is everything.