Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf's Iraq visit seeks to reshape ties amid regional unrest
Upon Ghalibaf’s arrival, he insisted that the two countries needed to strengthen a “new regional order” and denounced “foreign interference.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf embarked on a three-day visit to Iraq on Wednesday in an attempt to redefine the relationship between the two nations, amid escalating regional turmoil. The trip comes as Tehran endeavors to "reshuffle relations with Iraq," according to Dr. Yaron Schneider, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies specializing in Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
The visit comes at a time when Iraq is grappling with an economic crisis triggered by the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Upon arrival, Ghalibaf emphasized the need to fortify a "new regional order" and dismissed "foreign interference." During his visit, he met with the President of the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq, Faiq Zidan, to discuss matters such as enhancing bilateral relations, border security, combating terrorism, boosting economic cooperation, and implementing joint agreements, as reported by Iran's Tasnim news agency.
The issue of economic cooperation has often been exploited by Iran to influence Baghdad's internal policies. Iran's economy is heavily dependent on oil, which constitutes 90% of government revenue, 95% of export earnings, and over 53% of the country's gross domestic product. Iraq's oil-dependent economy is facing a crisis as a result of the Strait of Hormuz being closed.
With oil exports accounting for such a significant portion of Iraq's revenue, unemployment has surged, and salaries have been delayed due to the economic predicament.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi had previously urged Ghalibaf to grant Iraq's oil exports a special exemption to safely navigate the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is attempting to mend the situation and prevent the loss of Iraq, as suggested by Schneider. Although Iran still possesses the means to project its power through militias, threatening government officials and intimidating elements within Iraq that might seek to diminish Iran's influence, such as the Kurds, it is striving to mitigate the criticism it has faced due to the Hormuz crisis.
By forming a deal with Baghdad that enables the PMF to retain its weaponry, conceal heavy weapons, or potentially transfer them temporarily to Iran, Iran aims to counter the dismantling and disarmament of militias in Iraq.
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