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Iraq
A British tanker (left) accompanied by the British Royal Navy HMS Montrose in the Persian Gulf on August 5. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Iraqi foreign ministry spokesman said Iraq will not join any coalition to protect the Gulf navigation on Thursday.
The US is currently trying to get regional states to join the International Maritime Security Construct, which it formed in August following heightened tensions with Iran in the Persian Gulf. The spokesman Ahmed Sahaaf said that Iraq has no intention to join any coalition and rejects possibly Israeli participation in the alliance after the Jewish state expressed interest in joining.
“Iraq will not be part of any coalition which aims to provide protection for Gulf navigation,” Sahaaf told Rudaw English. “Iraq also refuses any Israeli participation in any coalition to protect Gulf navigation.”
Sahaaf also said that the protection of the Persian Gulf is the “responsibility of the surrounding countries.”
Tensions are high in the Middle East following Saturday’s attacks on Saudi oil installations, for which Saudi Arabia blamed Iran. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed credit for the attack, which utilized drones.
Iraq’s declaration of not joining the US-led coalition follows a call the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs received from its Iranian counterpart on Thursday, in which both sides agreed to maintain the security in the region and develop the positive relations between the two countries.
Iran yields considerable influence in Iraq. Iran is one of Iraq’s main energy providers, and Iraq has had to get exemptions from US sanctions on Iran to continue receiving energy from the Islamic Republic.
Iran also backs the powerful Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, in Iraq. The militias, which were formed to fight ISIS, now have some of their leaders in the Iraqi parliament. The head of the Fatih Coalition in the parliament and PMF leader Hadi al-Ameri fought with Iran in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, for example.
The current tensions in the Persian Gulf date back to last year when Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran. This prompted Tehran to suspend some of its commitments under the deal, creating fears amongst the remaining European parties to the deal that the landmark agreement could fall apart.
There were a series of attacks on oil vessels in the Persian Gulf in May and June this year, creating fears for the freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the US to start the coalition in August.
The situation prompted the US to start its maritime security coalition in the Gulf. So far, the UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE have joined. Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined shortly after Saturday;s attacks on the oil installations.
The situation has gotten even more tense with US President Donald Trump threatening Iran with more sanctions after the attack, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling it an “act of war.”
The US is currently trying to get regional states to join the International Maritime Security Construct, which it formed in August following heightened tensions with Iran in the Persian Gulf. The spokesman Ahmed Sahaaf said that Iraq has no intention to join any coalition and rejects possibly Israeli participation in the alliance after the Jewish state expressed interest in joining.
“Iraq will not be part of any coalition which aims to provide protection for Gulf navigation,” Sahaaf told Rudaw English. “Iraq also refuses any Israeli participation in any coalition to protect Gulf navigation.”
Sahaaf also said that the protection of the Persian Gulf is the “responsibility of the surrounding countries.”
Tensions are high in the Middle East following Saturday’s attacks on Saudi oil installations, for which Saudi Arabia blamed Iran. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed credit for the attack, which utilized drones.
Iraq’s declaration of not joining the US-led coalition follows a call the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs received from its Iranian counterpart on Thursday, in which both sides agreed to maintain the security in the region and develop the positive relations between the two countries.
Iran yields considerable influence in Iraq. Iran is one of Iraq’s main energy providers, and Iraq has had to get exemptions from US sanctions on Iran to continue receiving energy from the Islamic Republic.
Iran also backs the powerful Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, in Iraq. The militias, which were formed to fight ISIS, now have some of their leaders in the Iraqi parliament. The head of the Fatih Coalition in the parliament and PMF leader Hadi al-Ameri fought with Iran in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, for example.
The current tensions in the Persian Gulf date back to last year when Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran. This prompted Tehran to suspend some of its commitments under the deal, creating fears amongst the remaining European parties to the deal that the landmark agreement could fall apart.
There were a series of attacks on oil vessels in the Persian Gulf in May and June this year, creating fears for the freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the US to start the coalition in August.
The situation prompted the US to start its maritime security coalition in the Gulf. So far, the UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE have joined. Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined shortly after Saturday;s attacks on the oil installations.
The situation has gotten even more tense with US President Donald Trump threatening Iran with more sanctions after the attack, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling it an “act of war.”
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