Ghalibaf Responds to Iraq Speaker: Every Step Apart Brought Us Two Steps Closer
WANA (Aug 20) – Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has responded to an apparent move by Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, who posted an image using the term “Arabian Gulf” instead of the historical name “Persian Gulf,” by emphasizing the deep ties between the Iranian and Iraqi peoples and saying that efforts to drive the two countries apart have produced the opposite result.
Ghalibaf made the remarks while addressing a large gathering in Karbala during a ceremony marking the 40th day since the burial of the late leader of the Islamic Revolution. Rather than engaging directly in a verbal or social-media dispute with his Iraqi counterpart, Ghalibaf framed his response around the broader issues of the independence of the two nations and their shared opposition to foreign interference.
The episode began after Ghalibaf met with al-Halbousi during his visit to Iraq. The meeting focused on bilateral relations, economic cooperation and regional developments, with both sides stressing the importance of strengthening cooperation between Iran and Iraq.
Following the meeting, Ghalibaf posted a photograph of himself on X featuring a map of the Persian Gulf in the background, clearly labeled “Persian Gulf.” Shortly afterward, al-Halbousi posted a similar photograph of himself, but with the same body of water labeled “Arabian Gulf.” The move was widely interpreted as a direct response to Ghalibaf’s post.
The image triggered widespread reactions on social media, with Iranian and Iraqi users criticizing the Iraqi parliament speaker’s decision. Some Iraqi users also objected to the use of the disputed term, turning what had begun as a symbolic social-media exchange into a broader public controversy shortly after the two officials had met.
Ghalibaf, however, chose to take his response beyond the dispute over the image and terminology, linking it instead to the broader strategic relationship between Tehran and Baghdad.
While conveying the greetings of the Iranian people, Ghalibaf thanked the Iraqi people for their large-scale participation in the funeral ceremonies for the late leader of the Islamic Revolution. He said the historic turnout demonstrated that “every step taken by the enemies of the two countries to drive us apart has brought us two steps closer together.”
The Iranian parliament speaker said the ties between Iran and Iraq were rooted in their shared history, geography and religious bonds, adding that another major factor bringing Tehran and Baghdad closer was their common refusal to allow foreign capitals to determine the fate of their peoples.
In a key part of his remarks, Ghalibaf said: “History will write about us that we were two nations that refused to become a footnote to other people’s narratives,” adding that the destiny of the two nations was not written in the capitals of Western countries.
He further stressed that cooperation between Iran and Iraq should not be confined to political and security issues, arguing that the two countries should also work together to improve economic welfare, development and prosperity for their peoples.
Ghalibaf said Tehran and Baghdad were not gathered merely to repeat “empty words without substance,” but had a clear agenda for strengthening security and stability, reducing foreign interference and launching projects aimed at improving the lives of people in both countries.
Concluding his remarks, Ghalibaf referred to the history of Iranian-Iraqi cooperation during difficult periods and described the relationship between the two countries as being rooted in “brotherhood.”
“We have been friends and brothers through the hardest days,” he said. “We stood together in difficult times, and we will stand together in times of success.”