Saudi Arabia’s defence minister has called Iraq a “cherished neighbour” after meetings in Riyadh with an Iraqi security commander, and said his country wanted to co-operate closely with Iraq despite attacks by Saudi Arabia and the United States on Iraqi sites last month.
The visit by Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, director of the Office of the Commander in Chief in Iraq, was the first by an Iraqi security official since Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi cancelled a trip to Saudi Arabia after the strikes on 29 July.
Popular Mobilisation forces (Hashed Al Shaabi), Iran-based militias who reported that 20 jihadists, including five Iranians, had been killed in the attacks, said they wanted to avenge the deaths.
But Khalid bin Salman, defence minister of Saudi Arabia, told Al-Shammari that Saudi Arabia wanted to support Iraq’s security, saying: “Iraq will remain a cherished neighbour to us and we have historical ties.”
In his remarks, published on the Saudi defence ministry’s website on Thursday, he said he and Al-Shammari had held “important military and defence discussions, in addition to other developments in the region”.
Both nations expressed their interest in promoting “regional security and stability” and said they would continue consultations and co-operation.
Regional implications
The meeting comes as Iran-aligned groups in Iraq try to balance their calls for revenge with other political and security considerations.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, the coalition of militias close to Iran, had announced attacks in response to the strikes on 29 July, but announced last week that these would be postponed.
The attacks on Hashed Al Shaabi have further complicated Iraq’s position as a regional power-broker between Washington and Tehran, with Washington pressing Baghdad to loosen its alliance with Iran.
The US considers many of the militias to be terrorist organisations, and has accused Iraq of providing them with a haven. Iranian-backed groups have launched numerous attacks on American interests in recent months, despite Iraq being officially neutral in the conflict between the regional rivals.
Prime Minister Zaidi has called on the militias to give up their weapons, but they have resisted.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-Iraqi talks take place against a tense backdrop, as both nations seek to balance regional security concerns with their strategic partnership.