Iraqi officials have intensified their contacts with regional and international powers in wake of the collapse of the Syrian regime.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had paid a visit to Jordan on Wednesday and received telephone calls from various officials in wake of the developments in neighboring Syria.
He received a telephone call on Wednesday from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and held telephone talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah a-Sisi on Thursday.
He also held telephone talks with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. They agreed on the need for a political transition in Syria and for all Syrians to play a role in the process.
In a post on the X platform, Lammy said they tackled Iraq’s role in ensuring the security of the region.
Sudani’s office said they discussed bilateral relations between Baghdad and London and means to bolster them.
He underlined Iraq’s firm stance on the need to maintain Syria’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The voice of its people must be respected, he added.
Sudani was invited to visit Britain in January.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein visited the Basra governorate instead of traveling abroad to clarify Iraq’s stance from the developments in Syria.
Baghdad is effectively trying to position itself as a focal point for diplomacy related to the Syrian crisis after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.
On the security level, Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari and Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi visited the Iraqi-Syrian border to inspect fortifications. Army commander Abul Amir Yarallah and other military officials have also visited the area.
Leader of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Falih al-Fayyadh visited the al-Qaim region in al-Anbar province on Thursday to inspect fortifications along the border with Syria.
Sunni and Shiite officials had different reactions to the collapse of the Assad regime.
Head of the State of Law Coalition and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, expressed his concern over the “unfortunate” developments.
He said the collapse of the regime was “unexpected,” adding that “Türkiye played an obvious role in ousting it.”
Head of the Sovereignty Alliance Khamis al-Khanjar, a Sunni, called for implementing the political agreement and revealing the fate of people who have been forcibly disappeared.
