Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is currently in Pakistan as part of his tour of several Asian states, is reportedly going to visit Iraq on Saturday.
Iran says it has no problem with the visit of an Iraqi delegation to Tehran with the aim of mediating between Iran and the US, but the Islamic Republic will have its own say on the issue.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi says his country is set to send delegations to the US and Iran to help “halt tension” between the two sides amid growing concerns over a military conflict as Washington ratchets up its belligerent rhetoric against Tehran and builds up its military presence in the region.
Following the recent escalation between Washington and Tehran over the 2015 nuclear deal, several countries have expressed readiness to mediate between the two arch-rivals.
Iran’s Ambassador to London says the US will grant waivers to Iraq for economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic if Baghdad signs an oil deal with the US.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa claims Iran will not be allowed to shut the strategic Strait of Hormuz even for one day, warning that if it closes the corridor, it means it is “walking towards the abyss”.
Iran’s defence minister says if it weren’t for Iran’s cooperation, Iraq would have been disintegrated by ill-wishers and enemies of peace and security.
An Iranian analyst says Iraq is now faced with a difficult choice between Iran and the US because the power balance it had created over the past years to establish ties with both sides is no longer feasible.
Iraq is set to maintain and even increase its natural gas and electricity imports from Iran to meet the extreme summer demand, defying the US’ move to stop issuing sanctions waivers for the countries that import energy from Iran.
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said the country and its allies in the Middle East, Iraq in particular, will never allow outsiders to bring insecurity into the region again.
The first parliamentary summit of the six neighbouring countries of Iraq entitled "Iraq; Stability and Development" has begun in capital Baghdad, with delegations from Iran and Saudi Arabia in attendance.
Italy’s former ambassador to Iraq says American officials are fully aware of the role played by Iran’s senior military commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in preventing Baghdad from falling into ISIS terrorists.
A senior Iranian lawmaker says Iraqis have been trying to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia and this is a good chance for the Iranian foreign ministry to play a key role.
The deployment of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, in Iran to contribute to relief operations in western flood-hit areas has sparked controversy.
