In a meeting with Iranian FM Javad Zarif, Iraqi FM Fuad Hussein assured him that bilateral Iran-Iraq ties won’t be affected by the missile strikes, which US officials have blamed on Iraqi Shi’ite militias loyal to Iran.
Zarif sees these strikes as a serious problem, and also a suspicious one, saying Iran wants the culprits to be properly identified, and suggesting that they are deliberately trying to tarnish diplomatic ties.
It’s less about Iran-Iraq ties, of course than the US ties with each of them, as the US blames Iran, shying away from diplomacy, and also blames Iraq, potentially harming the US-Iraqi ties that have been built over years of occupation.
Iran had the foresight to warn its militias explicitly to not do this sort of thing during the period between US election and inauguration, and while they keep being blamed there is a lot of uncertainty over which militias are actually culpable, and some heretofore unheard of militias with Shi’ite-sounding names have also cropped up.
“potentially harming the US-Iraqi ties that have been built over years of occupation.”
Funny statement. What kind of “ties” could be possibly be built up while under occupation? Id say the Iraqi’s hate our ass and rightfully so and any kind of alliance is a sham.
Exactly… the carefully constructed and maintained relationship between an abuser and their victim. Rationally enough, the victim is concerned about upsetting the abuser, yet there is nothing in the victim’s power to keep the abuser happy.
Very smart analysis. Everything that the occupier does is to retain as much control as possible. Just up the cost to an unacceptable level, and the invader will vanish! Talking nice doesn’t work!