ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) pledged Tuesday to bolster ties as the bloc's secretary-general condemned Iran-aligned "agents" for launching cross-border attacks on regional countries, and praised Baghdad for steps taken to curb such assaults from its territory.
"I emphasize that our relations with the Gulf states were good and excellent before the [US-Iran] war, and we will restore these relations to their correct path in the coming period," Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said at a joint press conference with GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi in Baghdad.
For his part, Albudaiwi censured “the criminal attacks that GCC states have been subjected to” and were launched “by Iran and its agents in the region," commending recent measures adopted by Baghdad “to prevent hostile attacks from being launched from its territory against GCC member states."
"We view brotherly Iraq as an indispensable strategic partner," the GCC secretary-general said, stressing that stronger ties between Baghdad and its Arab neighbours would enhance regional security, while noting that "addressing all outstanding issues" remains a prerequisite.
Albudaiwi’s remarks and his visit to the Iraqi capital notably come in the wake of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s push to mend fences with Gulf Arab states, particularly following strains seen under the previous administration.
The US and Israel launched a large-scale aerial campaign against Iran in late February, striking thousands of targets across the country during six weeks of hostilities.
In response, Iran carried out thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - as well as launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.
The Iranian response has also included strikes by factions aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance’, including by shadowy armed groups in Iraq that have claimed numerous attacks against alleged US targets in the country and the wider region.
In mid-April, the UAE handed the chargé d’affaires at the Iraqi embassy a “strongly worded” letter of protest over what it described as “terrorist attacks” launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-aligned armed groups targeting facilities in Gulf Arab states, despite the ongoing truce.
Abu Dhabi then warned that the continuation of such attacks places ties with Baghdad “under highly sensitive strain.”
In late May, Zaidi condemned the "criminal acts that targeted the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates," stressing Iraq's rejection of the use of its territory as a launchpad for "attacks against sisterly and friendly countries."
He further ordered the establishment of "a high-level investigative committee" to work jointly with authorities in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh to uncover the circumstances surrounding the attacks.
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