Maj Gen Soleimani behind Iran-Saudi rapprochement: ex-Iraq PM
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Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi hails the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC General Qassem Soleimani as the architect of the Iran-Saudi rapprochement accord.
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Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran's Quds Force, attends an annual rally commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2016 (AP)
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi lauded late Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' Quds Force, as a peacemaker in light of the agreement struck between Iran and Saudi Arabia restoring the diplomatic ties between the two countries after years of hostility.
Abdul-Mahdi published an article Tuesday in the Iraqi Al-Ahad website in which he praised the Iranian commander as having been behind the groundbreaking deal between the regional foes.
During a state visit to China in September 2019, Abdul-Mahdi divulged, the then-prime minister received a phone call from Soleimani in which the martyred Iranian commander asked him if he could visit Saudi Arabia and act as a mediator between Tehran and Riyadh. "I informed the Chinese side of the martyr's request, and they rejoiced," the article further read.
He also said the Saudis welcomed the proposal after he informed them of Iran's request for mediation and named Soleimani as the Iranian representative.
However, according to Abdul-Mahdi, the initiative was obstructed in light of strikes on the Saudi national oil corporation Aramco, as well as the United States assassination of the Iranian commander.
"Despite this setback, the initiative continued, and the first meetings were held in Baghdad in April 2021," the former PM explained.
On January 3, 2020, the US carried out a drone strike authorized by former US President Donald Trump targeting a car carrying the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC General Qassem Soleimani, and his Iraqi trench-mate and the second-in-command of Iraqi PMU (Popular Mobilization Units), Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis.
Martyr Soleimani was on an official visit to Iraq and was transported in a car with Martyr Al-Muhandis from Baghdad's International Airport upon his arrival before being assassinated by the US.
Days after his martyrdom, the anti-terror icon’s body was transferred to Iran and was laid to rest in his hometown of Kerman.
Furthermore, the former Iraqi premier underlined that many parties had contributed to the conclusion of the agreement, which he said had the potential to "alter not only the region but the world."
The deal is not merely about re-establishing ties between the two countries, Abdul-Mahdi underlined. saying it would lead to a complete resolution of sensitive and dangerous issues.
"Both parties engaged in robust and forceful negotiations, and the agreement could not have been reached without regional and global developments, the growing influence of China, and guarantees from both sides," he concluded.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani commented on the article by agreeing with the Iraqi premier and lauding the Iranian commander.
"General Soleimani was not only a hero in the fight against terrorism and a security builder in the region but also a general and architect of peace, reconciliation, and brotherhood between Islamic nations," Kanaani said.
سردار #سلیمانی نه تنها #قهرمان_مبارزه_با_تروریسم و امنیت ساز در منطقه، بلکه سردار و معمار صلح، آشتی و برادری بین ملتها و کشورهای اسلامی بود. دشمن اصلی را می شناخت و به افقهای دوردست می‌نگریست.
— Nasser Kanaani (@IRIMFA_SPOX) March 16, 2023
ارائه ابتکار میانجیگری #عراق بین #ایران و #عربستان ناشی از نگاه راهبردی سردار بود. pic.twitter.com/tAYd8mkMfC
Iranian-Saudi ties had soured after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Tehran in January 2016 following the Kingdom's execution of prominent human rights activist and outspoken Riyadh critic Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr.
The Sheikh raised his voice against corruption and political injustice inflicted on marginalized groups that constitute minorities in different regions of the Kingdom, notably Al-Qatif.
However, after seven years of strained ties, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations and re-open their embassies series of talks brokered in Beijing, China under the auspices of Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
Simultaneously, several Arab countries reflected their views on the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia most notably the UAE, Egypt, and Qatar. The countries touched on the subject by expressing hope for the future.
Read next: Arab states welcome rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia
The Saudi leadership expressed hope that the positive discussion with Iran will continue in light of the Chinese-sponsored agreement struck last week.
