As a close ally of both the US and Iran, Iraq has sought to balance its relations with regional rivals and establish itself as peace broker.
Neither side wants a war, the Iraq PM told reporters at his weekly press conference in Baghdad. However, the recent escalation in Persian Gulf poses a serious threat to peace in the region, he warned.
“We will send delegations within the coming days to the different capitals of the countries involved, especially Tehran and Washington, to attempt to push for de-escalation and reach agreements, because all sides say they don’t want war, rather to negotiate,” Abdul-Mahdi said.
Iraq “more than any other country” is affected by developments as it sits in the middle of the “storm”, he added.
Baghdad’s recent opening to regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, and to European nations, gives Iraq “an important place” as mediator to carry messages between the US and Iran, the PM explained.
“As such, I believe we should play this role. This is our national duty. This is our responsibility in defending in protecting Iraq and its people.”
Abdul-Mahdi warned there are external forces who wish to stoke tensions further to “divide the region” – but no such appetite among Iraqis.
“On our side, we haven’t seen an Iraqi party in the political process that wants to push things towards a crisis or extremity, except for individual behavior. We didn’t find any Iraqi party inside the political process that wants to push things to the directions of war,” he said.
His comments come days after a Katyusha rocket was fired into Baghdad’s International Zone, where the US embassy is based. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias are feared to be behind the attack.
There have been at least eight acts of aggression against US personnel and facilities by Iran’s proxy forces in Iraq since Trump came to power, officials claim. And provocations have increased.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif insisted Iran does not want an escalation.
There will be “painful consequences” for everyone if there is an escalation, he warned, suggesting the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf raises the possibility of an accident which could lead to war.
The US has sent an aircraft carrier, destroyer groups, and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in response to an undisclosed Iranian threat. The waterway, particularly the narrow Strait of Hormuz, is critical for global oil exports.
“Now, having all these military assets in a small waterway is, in and of itself, prone to accident, particularly when you have people who are interested in accidents,” Zarif said.
Four ships off the coast of the UAE’s Fujairah port were sabotaged earlier in the month. Iran, which has been widely accused of sponsoring the sabotage, has denied any involvement.
Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said the US military buildup has succeeded in deterring Iranian attacks.
“We have deterred attacks based on our reposturing of assets, deterred attacks against American forces,” Shanahan told reporters following Congressional briefings on Tuesday.
US moves are aimed at preventing an “Iranian miscalculation,” he said. “This is about deterrence, not war.”
US Senator Lindsay Graham, who is close to US President Trump, vowed to hold the acting secretary of defense to account if US interests come under attack.
“If there’s an attack on American interests, personnel in Iraq or anywhere else directed by the Ayatollah and his henchmen, and you don’t respond, your ass will be up here explaining to us why you let them kill Americans and get away with it,” the Senator told reporters following the briefing.
“I hope this show of force will result in de-escalating, not escalating.”
Trump pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018, claiming it did not stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and stoking regional turmoil.
The president reimposed a raft of sanctions targeting Iran’s oil sector with the aim of driving oil exports down to zero. He has also imposed sanctions on Iran’s metal sector.
The US administration took a step further, designating Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
Trump has nevertheless showed willingness to negotiate, saying Iran’s leaders should call him for talks.
