Iran should never have been allowed a seat at Baghdad II conference

On Dec. 20, Jordan hosted a high-level conference on Iraq titled “Partnership and cooperation and how to continue to support Iraq.” Other than the regional powers, several international organizations led by France’s President Emmanuel Macron attended the summit, which included representatives from the EU, UN, Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Turkiye were also interested in helping Iraq achieve political and economic stability and security, which it has lacked since the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003.
A year ago, the first conference was held in Baghdad, aiming to kick-start regional talks concerning the troubled country. Since then, nothing has been achieved, and no changes have been made to improve Iraq’s security or economy.
Would a second summit make a difference?
This Baghdad II gathering focused on strengthening Iraq’s regional role in order to face the country’s security challenges.

The discussion should have been on how to support Iraq to rid itself of Iran and prevent Tehran from running the neighboring country.

Dalia Al-Aqidi

“Iraq probably is, given the past decades, one of the main victims of regional destabilization. We need to be able to overcome the divisions of the moment,” Macron told the participants. He reiterated his country’s commitment to the region’s stability, to promote peace and security in the broader Mediterranean basin, which he said was struggling with deadlocks, divisions and foreign interference.
When the international community discusses any Iraq-related issue, Baghdad cannot be separated from its neighboring capitals and their influence on its political arena and national security.
Josep Borrell, the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy, expressed concerns about Iraq being a proxy battlefield, emphasizing the EU’s readiness to support Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s commitment to undertake comprehensive reforms.
Borrell said that Iraq had been a war zone for too long. “Now it has to be a regional bridge builder contributing to reducing regional tensions. That is why we support the Iraqi government’s consistent efforts to develop a balanced foreign policy,” he added.
Ironically, Al-Sudani stressed his country’s rejection of any foreign interference that would harm and threaten its sovereignty and territory, noting that force should not be used to resolve disputes or differences. The prime minister should have read the room before making such a statement.
It is no secret that he was appointed to this critical position by the die-hard pro-Tehran political players that ran militias all over his country, killing, abducting, and torturing his fellow Iraqis.
While the Iranian regime continues to oppress its people — silencing brave protesters through various forms of force including arrests, murder and sexual abuse — Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Iran’s “policy is to avoid war and work to restore security and stability.”
Here, the million-dollar question should be: How and why was Iran invited to the Jordan conference? Syria was excluded from the conference, so why not Iran as well?
The discussion should have been on how to support Iraq in ridding itself of Tehran and preventing them from running the neighboring country, which poses a significant danger to several Arab nations and the West.
Those attending were well aware of the fact that no government can be formed in Baghdad without Tehran’s consent, and no politician gets to be the head of the government without Iran’s blessing.
And recently, Iran has been escalating its military attacks inside Iraq against Kurdish opposition groups without any regard for its neighbor’s stability.
The regime in Tehran has been providing funds and weapons to terrorist groups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, among other countries. It has been targeting Iranian citizens in the US and Europe for opposing the radical ruling class.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has launched multiple strikes against Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The Iranian regime has played a role in the Ukrainian conflict by supplying drones to Russia while holding international talks to revive its nuclear deal.
It is doubtful that the outcome of this summit will prevent Iran from committing crimes and violating human rights in the region and beyond.
Giving Iran a seat at the table was a big mistake and should not be repeated.

• Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy.

Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi