Iraq seeks Saudi-Iranian security council to contain regional tensions
BAGHDAD – Iraq has proposed to Iran and Saudi Arabia the creation of a “joint security coordination council” aimed at easing tensions between the regional rivals, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji said, as Baghdad seeks to play a larger role in containing escalating security and military tensions across the region.
The proposal comes as security concerns increasingly overlap with regional rivalries and competing spheres of influence, placing Iraq in a potentially pivotal position given its close relations with both Tehran and Riyadh and its alliance with Washington.
Speaking on the Iraqi state television programme “Al-Mashhad”, Araji said the proposal had been presented to both Iran and Saudi Arabia, identifying a “crisis of trust” as the core problem between the two countries.
He did not provide further details on the proposed council, including its composition, level of representation or how it would operate.
The initiative would mark an effort by Baghdad to shift Iraq from being a potential arena for Iranian-Saudi confrontation towards becoming a platform for dialogue and security coordination.
Recent developments have underscored the risks to Iraq of continued regional tensions, particularly when its territory or airspace is allegedly used as a launchpad for attacks against neighbouring countries.
The proposal takes on added significance after Saudi Arabia said on July 27 that it had intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraqi territory that attempted to target oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh.
Saudi authorities at the time blamed Iran-backed militias for the attacks, while the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes against positions belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella organisation that includes Iran-aligned factions.
Riyadh had previously warned that it reserved the right to respond, while Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate Saudi information concerning the source of the drones.
Against that backdrop, Baghdad’s proposal can be seen as an attempt to contain a crisis that extends beyond Saudi-Iranian relations and directly touches on Iraq’s sovereignty, internal security and ability to prevent its territory from being used to launch attacks against neighbouring states.
The initiative also reflects Iraq’s interest in keeping channels open with Iran at a time of mounting regional pressure on Tehran.
Bringing Iran and Saudi Arabia into a direct security coordination framework could provide an additional channel for dialogue and reduce the risk of confrontation, while giving Baghdad an opportunity to act as an intermediary rather than leaving the diplomatic space to other regional and international actors.
But describing the proposal simply as an effort to provide Iran with an avenue out of its current regional pressure would overlook Iraq’s own security interests.
Baghdad has repeatedly paid a price when tensions between regional powers escalate, particularly when Iraqi territory becomes a conduit for attacks or a battleground for competing interests.
Araji reinforced that position by stressing that “placing all weapons under state control is a purely Iraqi strategic decision” and that decisions on war and peace rest solely with the Iraqi state.
The message appears directed at both Riyadh and Iraq’s armed factions: Baghdad wants to reassure its neighbours that it is seeking to prevent its territory from being used against them, while insisting to armed groups that security and military decisions must ultimately rest with state institutions.
The proposal also follows a telephone call between Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, during which the two stressed the importance of containing escalation and resolving disputes through peaceful means.
That contact suggests Baghdad may be seeking to build a gradual process of communication, beginning with political and security coordination and potentially developing into a more structured mechanism.
Araji also said the September 30 departure of the US-led coalition would mark the beginning of efforts to place all weapons under state control, rather than a deadline for weapons to be handed over.
“The battle against ISIS has ended militarily, although some terrorist pockets remain,” he said, stressing that the fight had not ended completely.
He said the government had established a mechanism and would set a timeframe for disengagement and the handover of weapons, while stressing that the process would not be carried out through provocation.
“Placing all weapons under state control is a purely Iraqi strategic decision, and the decision on war and peace rests exclusively with the Iraqi state,” Araji said.
He also called on political parties to dissociate themselves from PMF brigades, while stressing the need to safeguard the rights of their fighters.
Araji said regional circumstances had contributed to some factions’ reluctance to hand over their weapons, but added that talks with the groups were continuing and had produced positive results.
“The factions are not enemies of the state; rather, they are part of it,” he said, describing confrontation with them as a “red line”.
He said the state would be the strongest guarantor of their rights once they handed over their weapons, adding that their weapons would become “a source of strength for the state” and would not be handed to any outside party.