Iranian FM mucks about in Baghdad: Wrong numbers and tampering with protocols

Eslam Mohamed

During the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership hosted by the Iraqi capital on Saturday, August 28, the issues of combating terrorism and the development of the situation in Afghanistan dominated the agenda following the withdrawal of foreign forces from Kabul.

The Iraqi government sent invitations to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and Jordanian King Abdullah II.

FM Abdollahian exploits conference

Iran participated with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian heading his country’s delegation, and he was keen to exploit the event and send messages through his participation in the conference.

Abdollahian was received at Baghdad Airport by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein. Upon his arrival in Baghdad, Abdollahian, accompanied by Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi, headed to the memorial at the site of the assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) leader Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis near Baghdad Airport.

Abdollahian, who is on his first foreign visit since assuming the Iranian diplomatic portfolio, met with Iraqi President Barham Salih, and they discussed a number of regional and international files. He also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and a number of guests of the summit.

During his participation in the summit, the Iranian foreign minister sent messages to the United States, saying that foreign interference in the region was destabilizing it, although he ignored his country’s interventions in the region and its support for militias in a number of countries.

Abdollahian reiterated his country’s emphasis on the importance of regional discussions and achieving peace through dialogue between the countries of the region away from foreign interference, as well as spreading confidence among the countries of the region. He expressed his regret for Syria not being invited to the conference, pointing out that achieving security will be achieved with the participation of all Iraq’s neighbors, including Syria.

Ignorant of protocols

Abdollahian said that the volume of trade exchange between Iraq and Iran amounted to $300 billion, which sparked outrage from Iraqi ministers and officials. He then went back to correct his words, saying that the exchange between the two countries amounted to $13 billion, but the photographers’ lenses recorded one of the members of the Iraqi delegation seeming to be indicating a sign of madness in disgust with what Abdollahian had said.

The Iranian foreign minister violated protocols during the ceremony to take a group photo of the leaders and participating ministers, as he jumped to the first row designated for presidents and kings and left the row of his foreign minister counterparts, in a move that provoked wide reactions among Iraqis, as they saw it as an Iranian intention to show hegemony and send negative messages to their country.

After the summit ended, Abdollahian headed from Baghdad to the Syrian capital, Damascus, to be his second Arab stop since his appointment to his post.