Iraq is going to great lengths to prevent an exacerbation of tensions between Iran and the United States because its mainstream political groups do not want the status of their fellow Shia-majority neighbor to be undermined on the world stage, says a political observer.
"In recent days, as tensions between Iran and the United States have increased, Iraq is one of the countries that has entered the field and is making efforts to de-escalate the situation," Ali Mousavi Khalkhali, editor-in-chief of the Iranian Diplomacy website, wrote in a recent article.
He noted that Iraqi authorities and political leaders have on various occasions stressed the need to play a role in defusing the increasingly contentious confrontation, which is indicative of the importance of shared religious values and interests between the two neighbors.
Iran and Iraq fought a long and bloody war in the 1980s, but since the ouster of former dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, relations between the two countries have greatly improved.
The Islamic Republic played a significant role in pushing the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group out of Iraqi territory, and the three Shia frontrunners for the post of prime minister in last year's elections trumpeted their good relations with Iran.
In addition, Iranian officials say they plan to raise the annual bilateral trade to $20 billion from the current level of $12 billion, despite the difficulties caused by US sanctions against Tehran.
Rival Forces
Khalkhali said Riyadh and some other Arab nations are not content with the current state of affairs in Iraq, which lies on the fault line between Iran and the mostly Sunni Arab world led by Saudi Arabia, and the reality that Iran-allied politicians are at the helm in Baghdad.
"They have always tried to upend the status quo," he said, adding that they have sometimes even resorted to "violent" means to achieve their objective.
"Shias are the major power-wielders in Iraq, and the Najaf theological school, despite all its differences of opinion with the Islamic Republic, regards Iran as a powerful and reliable mainstay of support that should not be weakened under any circumstances and should be always supported," he said.
The article added that for the same reason, Iraqi officials always extend a warm welcome to visiting Iranian delegations and feel responsible for ameliorating the situation surrounding Tehran.
"In fact, grand ayatollahs [in Iraq] are concerned about growing tensions involving Iran in the region and the world, and believe that it is not only to the detriment of Iran but the entire Shia world."
Khalkhali said Baghdad, which is being urged to take sides in the US-Iran standoff that has escalated into one of the Middle East's top flashpoints, is well aware that if Iran gets entangled in an incident, the fallout will go beyond the country and reach the shores of the international Shia community.
