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Iranian FM Zarif in Baghdad amid tensions with US
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Iraq’s parliament speaker said on Saturday that Baghdad is ready to mediate between the United States and Iran if it is asked to do so.

Mohamad Halbousi’s comments, carried by state TV, came shortly after Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Baghdad beginning a two-day visit.

Tension between the US and Iran have escalated ever since the Trump administration withdrew last year from the 2015 nuclear deal between the Islamic Theocratic Republic and world powers and reinstated American sanctions that have badly damaged the Iranian economy.

President Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
has argued that the nuclear deal failed to sufficiently curb Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons or halt its support for militias throughout the Middle East that the US argues destabilize the region.

"We are ready to mediate to solve the crisis between Washington and Tehran if we are asked for that," al-Halbousi, whose country has close ties with both Washington and Tehran, said. He added that there has been "no official request for such mediation."

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mehdi said earlier this week that Iraq will send delegations to the US and Iran to help end tensions between the two countries, adding that Baghdad is neutral in the conflict.

On May 19, a rocket was fired into Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, landing less than a mile from the sprawling US Embassy.

There were no injuries and no group grabbed credit, but the rocket was believed to have been fired from east Baghdad - which is home to Iran-backed Shiite militias.

During his visit to Baghdad, Zarif will meet his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed al-Hakim, Iraqi President Barham Salih, and Abdul-Mehdi, according to Iran’s state news agency.

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry front man Ahmad Sahhaf said Zarif will discuss the situation in the region and ways of finding common ground.


Posted by: Fred 2019-05-26
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=541792