The files we follow: Relations between Iran and its neighboring countries; Relations between Iran and the United States; Relations between Iran and the BRICS; Relations between Turkey and the European Union; Relations between Turkey and the BRICS.
Consider subscribing for free access to the full content!
Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani visited Iran on January 8 for a one-day trip, marking his first visit to the country since the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in Syria. Alongside discussions on strengthening bilateral relations, addressing Iraq’s energy and gas supply, and following up on mutual projects, he emphasized the importance of Syria’s stability for regional security and announced Baghdad’s plans to host an international conference aimed at fostering a “comprehensive regional dialogue” in response to the Syrian crisis.
With this initiative, PM al-Sudani seeks to position Iraq, and himself, especially with the next Iraqi parliamentary elections in October 2025, as a mediator, as it has previously been between Iran and some Arab states. This ambition was further confirmed a few days ago by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein at the WEF (World Economic Forum) in Davos, where he declared Iraq’s readiness to act as a mediator between the U.S. and Iran. While this visit is seen as a reiteration of Iraq’s commitment to Iran, reassuring it that Iraq will stand with its neighbor, Iraqi politician al-Alusi warns that such a move could send a risky signal, potentially making Iraq a target for both the U.S. and Israel.
Meanwhile, however, in the background, another crucial issue brought al-Sudani to Iran: the growing pressure Iraq has recently faced from the U.S. to dismantle the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
A few days before his visit to Iran, Iraqi Shafaq News reported that on January 4, Iraq’s PM received a message from U.S. President Donald Trump urging him to reduce the proliferation of weapons held by non-state actors and to curb the influence of Iranian-backed groups. Before that, during his unannounced visit to Iraq in mid-December, shortly after Assad’s fall, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken privately urged al-Sudani to take advantage of Iran’s perceived weakness to dissolve Shiite armed groups. Without explicitly mentioning Iran, Blinken described an “opportune moment” for Iraq to strengthen its sovereignty, stability, security, and future success, hinting that Iraq had an opportunity to reduce Iran’s influence, while reaffirming the U.S. commitment to Iraq’s sovereignty.
The New Arab reported that al-Sudani, ahead of his visit, clearly rejected external calls to dissolve the PMF, emphasizing its legal status under the 2014 parliamentary law and dismissing any imposed conditions on Iraq.
Vous devez souscrire à un abonnement EurasiaPeace pour avoir accès au contenu - Prendre votre abonnement