Iraq hosts regional archrivals Iran and Saudi Arabia
April 20, 2019
Baghdad is seeking to fashion itself as a mediator between regional powers, but bringing Riyadh and Tehran closer together could prove to be a difficult task. Iran and Saudi Arabia are at odds across the region.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J.al-Helo
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Iraq hosted senior officials from Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey on Saturday in a bid to bolster its nascent role as a regional mediator.
The one-day conference in the capital Baghdad discussed regional security, diplomacy and economic issues, a parliamentary spokesman told media.
Iran, now one of Iraq's closest allies in the region, but a fierce opponent of Saudi Arabia, was represented by a "senior official," the spokesman added.
The conference was hosted by Iraq's youngest-ever speaker of parliament, the 38-year-old Mohammed al-Halbusi, who said Friday that his country was "honored by the presence of its neighbors in Baghdad."
The participating countries pledged to support stability, reconstruction and development in Iraq, which has been ravaged by several decades of conflict, including a three-year battle against the "Islamic State" (IS) militant group.
"The stability of Iraq is necessary for the stability of the region," read the conference's concluding statement.
The participating nations did not announce any diplomatic breakthrough.
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A tough diplomatic job
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi recently visited both Iran and Saudi Arabia, which vie for dominance in the Middle East. The two regional foes are at odds across the deeply divided region, with both Riyadh and Tehran supporting different groups in war-torn countries like Yemen and Syria.
Saudi Arabia, a Sunni-majority country, is a close ally of the US, while Iran, a Shiite country, is one of Washington's "worst enemies" in the region. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump's administration designated Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.
Iraqi PM Mahdi says his country wants to maintain strong relations with Iran, but also with the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Ties between Turkey and Iran have also deteriorated since the start of the Syrian war in 2011. Ankara and Tehran have backed rival groups in the eight-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displaced millions.
The Baghdad conference was also attended by a large Syrian delegation, led by parliament chief Hammudeh Sabbagh.
As part of its mediation efforts, Iraq is seeking to bring Syria back into the Arab League regional group.
However, Iraq's regional mediation efforts are being lauded as Saudi Arabia and Iran participating in the same events is extremely rare.
Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
Syria's civil war erupted out of the Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in multiple warring factions from around the world.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/A. Al-Bushy
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass/M. Metzel
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/A.Brandon
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
Image: Reuters
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
Image: Getty Images/A. Sik
The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nusra Front on Twitter
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
