Iraqi Interior Minister: Saudi Crown Prince Seeks Baghdad's Mediation to Reduce Tensions with Iran

Iranian news agencies reported that the Iraqi Interior Minister, who is visiting Tehran, stated that Saudi Arabia has requested Baghdad to mediate in reducing tensions between the kingdom and the Islamic Republic. Qassem al-Araji, the Iraqi Interior Minister, traveled to Tehran to sign a memorandum regarding the presence of Iranian pilgrims for the Arbaeen ceremony, which was signed on Sunday, August 13, by him and Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Iranian Interior Minister. However, the Iranian Interior Ministry's website reported on Sunday, August 13, that during the meeting between the Iranian and Iraqi Interior Ministers in Tehran, Qassem al-Araji mentioned that during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "officially requested that Iraq act as a mediator between Iran and Saudi Arabia to reduce tensions." He added that this issue had previously been raised by King Salman of Saudi Arabia, and his country believes that "friendly relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia contribute to regional security." The statements of the Iraqi Interior Minister have been reflected in some domestic media in Iraq and some regional media, although so far, no official response has been provided by Saudi officials or news sources. Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been severed since the attack on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad in January 2016, and since then, the two countries have only had negotiations in recent months to resume sending Iranian pilgrims to the Hajj. Recently, Iran sent a group of its diplomats to Saudi Arabia to follow up on the affairs of the dispatched pilgrims. Some time ago, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister announced a "preliminary agreement with Saudi Arabia" for visits to embassies, while also stating that there is "no direct negotiation" between the two countries, and essential issues are being resolved "through diplomatic channels and indirectly." Since the severance of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, several 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 January, 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. In this context, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia stated last January that he views Iran as the representative and instigator of "three main troubles in the region": "borderless ideologies, instability, and terrorism." He emphasized that "there is no room for negotiation with a power that engages in the export of its exclusive ideology, participates in terrorist actions, and violates the sovereignty of other countries," adding that "as long as Tehran does not correct its deeply problematic outlook and behavior, Saudi Arabia will be harmed by cooperation and the proposal of permanent friendly relations with Iran." These statements were met with a response from the Islamic Republic, with the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson accusing Saudi Arabia of "organized support for terrorist groups" and stating that Saudi Arabia is among the actors whose "behavior needs to be corrected for global peace and tranquility." Although the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia have attended some international meetings related to the Syrian crisis since the severance of relations, their only face-to-face encounter occurred recently on the sidelines of the Executive Committee meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, where, according to Iranian media, the two sides "embraced each other and had a brief conversation."