Global Geopolitical Series: Iraq eyes improved relations with Iran despite U.S. sanction threat

Despite the looming sanctions on Iran by the United States, Iraq’s new government is planning to improve its relation with Iran. Iraq’s new President Barham Saleh stressed the enhancement of relations with Iran in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Iraj Masjedi. During the meeting, Saleh called for deepening the long-running relation with Iran.

While the United States is trying to isolate Iran in its attempt to bring Iran to the negotiating table to forge a new agreement over its nuclear ambition, as Washington has been imposing these sanctions since August, after President Trump moved Iran out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), better known as the Iran nuclear agreement that was reached between Iran and six global powers (Russia, China, United Kingdom, France, and Germany) back in 2015, Iraq’s new President added that enhancing the relation with Iran would actually lead to regional stability and a betterment of relations between the two countries would serve both Iraq and regional states.

President Saleh was elected by the parliament on October 2nd after the general election in May, which saw a pro-Iranian group come to power. Over the past years, the trade between the two countries has increased significantly. Iran is currently the third biggest trading partner of Iraq with a 16 percent share.