Iraq News Now

Iraq hosted senior parliamentary officials from arch-rivals

Saudi Arabia and Iran on Saturday as Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi sought to

bolster his country’s nascent role as a mediator in the region.

Delegations including the heads of parliament from Turkey,

Kuwait, Syria and Jordan also attended the one-day conference in the Iraqi

capital to discuss regional security, diplomacy and economic issues.

Abd al-Mahdi recently returned from visits to Iran and Saudi

Arabia, both oil-super-powers that have long been vying for dominance in the

Middle East. It is unusual for Saudi and Iranian officials to attend the same

events.

The Iraqi premier has said Iraq will maintain strong ties

with Iran, but also with Washington and regional neighbors, many of which, like

Saudi Arabia, consider Tehran a foe.

That message was echoed on Saturday by parliament speaker

Mohammed al-Halbousi, who chaired the gathering in Baghdad.

“What binds us to our neighbors is our common geographical

destiny and common interests,” he said in a statement.

The visiting officials pledged support for reconstruction

and development efforts in Iraq and for the country’s continued stability

following its victory over Islamic State, after three years of war, the

statement said.

Abd al-Mahdi met King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin

Salman during his visit to Riyadh, his first official trip to the kingdom since

taking office six months ago.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia have been at loggerheads since the

Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, but they have recently undertaken a

diplomatic push to improve ties.

Abdul Mahdi’s visit to Riyadh came 10 days after he visited

Iran. During his trip to Tehran, he met President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme

Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Many of Iraq’s leaders, from its Shiite majority, have close

ties with Iran, the main Shiite power in the Middle East.