Can Saudi Arabia play a big role in Iraq and stabilize it, 14 years after Iranian economic, political, cultural and armed dominance? Perhaps it can with continuing US support for Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
The high-level Iraqi visits to Jeddah and Riyadh have increased lately on the diplomatic, economic and military levels. Political figures and parties as well as leaders of armed groups translate relations between Iran and Iraq.
Saudi Arabia’s goals in Iraq are not limited to mending ties, but go beyond that. The kingdom wants to curb Iranian influence and make a strong entrance into the Iraqi market.
Saudi Arabia took key practical steps in this direction. It opened a consulate in Najaf, which is considered the Vatican of the Shiites, and launched direct flights between Baghdad and Riyadh. The kingdom has also increased its participation in international economic forums in Baghdad, counting 60 companies that partook in Baghdad’s International Fair.
Saudi Arabia and Iraq will share the profit of curbing Iranian influence in Iraq. Abadi’s government is trying to reduce the Iranian impact on Iraq’s decision-making gradually and definitively. Saudi Arabia — with US support — will be one of the contributing factors to scaling down Iran’s presence in Iraq.
The Iraqi-Saudi rapprochement indicates that Iranian influence in Iraq will not remain the same. But Iran, which has power over Iraqi state institutions and has armed groups advocating for it, will create huge hurdles in the way of Iraqi and Saudi ambitions.
The Saudi-Iraqi rapprochement will clearly impact the Iraqi political arena, especially as it did not limit itself to Sunni entities, but also included Iraqi state institutions and different sects like Shiites who are the majority in the country.
Comments are closed.