Iran's Ambassador in Baghdad: Iraqi Shiites' Relations with the US and Saudi Arabia Do Not Affect Ties with Iran

Iran's ambassador in Baghdad, reacting to Muqtada al-Sadr's visit to Saudi Arabia and the invitation of Ammar al-Hakim by this country, stated that the connections of Iraqi Shiites with other countries, including the US and Saudi Arabia, do not impact their relations with the Islamic Republic. Iraj Masjedi, a former commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC and the current Iranian ambassador to Iraq, said in a detailed interview with ISNA on Tuesday, August 14, that Iraq is seeking to expand its relations with Arab countries and aims to have a "logical and reciprocal" relationship with them in line with its interests. He emphasized that Iran's relations with Iraqi Shiites are "serious and strategic" and that their relations with other countries, including the US, Europe, and Saudi Arabia, should not be interpreted as a distancing from Iran, stating that "this analysis is fundamentally incorrect." Masjedi said, "We have a problem with the US, but this problem does not relate to the Iraqis, and Iraqis and Shiites in this country are not supposed to act like Iran, and based on this reasoning, we should not say why they have relations with the US." Two weeks ago, Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Shiite Sadrist movement in Iraq, met with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia during an official visit after 11 years and described Saudi Arabia as the "powerful father" of Arab nations striving for "peace in the region." Al-Sadr was previously supported by Iran but gradually distanced himself from the Islamic Republic, and last year his supporters protested against the presence of the Quds Force in Iraq. The political activities of the Sadrist movement began with al-Sadr's strong criticism of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the militia group "Jaysh al-Mahdi" led by him clashed with US forces. The Sadrist group suspended its militia activities in 2008 after heavy battles with Iraqi and US security forces. Al-Sadr also mentioned in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on August 10 that he might form a coalition with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Ammar al-Hakim in the upcoming Iraqi elections. Ammar al-Hakim, the former secretary of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, recently separated from this institution to form a new movement called "National Wisdom." Internal disagreements within the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a Shiite organization that has been aligned with Iran for over three decades, particularly regarding Iran's role in Iraq, led to this recent split. The Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, previously known as the Islamic Revolution Council of Iraq, was established in Iran in 1982 and had very close relations with the Islamic Republic for years. Al-Sadr also stated immediately after returning from Jeddah, in front of thousands of his supporters in Baghdad, that the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) should be disbanded and disarmed, and Iran should cease its interference in Iraqi affairs. In contrast, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi opposed the demand for the disbandment of the PMF on Saturday, August 5. The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry also stated that Muqtada al-Sadr's remarks calling for the disbandment of the PMF and the end of "Iran's interference in Iraqi affairs" may have been "misinterpreted" or "misreported." In this context, the Iranian ambassador in Iraq stated that the Iraqi parliament recognizes the PMF as "a legal group" that "must perform its duties in connection with security alongside other armed forces in Iraq." Masjedi also emphasized that the PMF should become "more structured, legal, and complete." The PMF, or "Popular Mobilization Forces," primarily consists of Shiite militia groups supported by Tehran and was recognized by the Iraqi parliament in December 2016 as a reserve force for the army and police of the country. Senior Iranian military commanders have repeatedly compared the PMF to the Basij forces affiliated with the IRGC and have taken pride in the influence of these forces from Iran. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC have supported the PMF, and Qassem Soleimani stated last month following the liberation of Mosul that "the key to Iran's arms depots was in the hands of the PMF commander." Regarding Iraq's interest in mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia, after the Iraqi Interior Minister's remarks about Saudi Arabia's desire for Baghdad to mediate in reducing tensions with Iran became newsworthy, the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad stated that the notion of "managed mediation" by Iraqis in this regard is incorrect. Iraj Masjedi, in his interview with ISNA, noted that "Iraqis are interested in improving relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia and express this openly and publicly." He added, "We have no problem with this issue... but the idea that they are conducting managed mediation between Tehran and Riyadh is not correct." The Iranian ambassador in Iraq further stated that "the Iraqi analysis is that Iran and Saudi Arabia are two important and powerful Islamic countries in the region and their relations should improve, but as I said, this does not mean that Iraqis have a coordinated mission and role in this regard." Since the severance of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, some countries, including Pakistan and Kuwait, have offered proposals for mediation and reducing tensions between the two countries. Iraq has also made efforts in this regard, and as Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, announced last December, since the severance of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, messages have been exchanged between the two countries through mediation. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia accuse each other of creating instability in the region, especially along their borders, and their differences in Syria and Yemen have led to a proxy war between the two countries.