Iranian Judiciary Chief Warns of ‘Malicious Acts’ in Iraq

Sudani receives the delegation of the Iranian Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei in Baghdad on Wednesday. (Governmental media)
Sudani receives the delegation of the Iranian Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei in Baghdad on Wednesday. (Governmental media)
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Iranian Judiciary Chief Warns of ‘Malicious Acts’ in Iraq

Sudani receives the delegation of the Iranian Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei in Baghdad on Wednesday. (Governmental media)
Sudani receives the delegation of the Iranian Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei in Baghdad on Wednesday. (Governmental media)

Iranian Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei warned on Wednesday during his visit to Baghdad of the “malicious acts” carried out by Israel and the US in Iraq.

His visit coincided with Iraqi officials stressing the crucial need to strengthen bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly in investment and trade.

According to an Iraqi statement, Mohseni arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday to discuss the regional situation and the reinforcement of judicial coordination between the two countries.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani underscored the pivotal role of Iraq in advancing dialogue in the region.

The Iraqi government said in a statement that they discussed bilateral ties and coordination in various topics of common interest.

The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office reported that Ejei and Sudani discussed joint efforts to confront terrorism and drug trafficking. The meeting further touched on the developments in Gaza and the continuous barbaric crimes committed by the occupation against civilians.

Sudani stressed the need to level up political pressure from the Islamic and Arab world to end the genocide in Gaza.

Speaking in a meeting with members of Iraq’s Coordination Framework, Mohseni Ejei stressed the importance of cooperation between Iran and Iraq.

He said that the US and the Zionist regime are “carrying out malicious actions against Islamic countries, including Iran and Iraq.”

Ejei went on to stress that there is a need for unity and cooperation between the two countries "more than ever".

Mohseni Ejei concluded his visit to Baghdad by visiting the location where General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolution Guards Corps, was assassinated by a US strike near Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.

The visit comes amid diplomatic deliberations between Baghdad and Washington regarding the fate of international military presence. While Iraqi government officials assert that the talks are geared towards orchestrating the departure of foreign forces, the US Ministry of Defense has refuted such claims.

- Coordination with Riyadh

Al-Sudani emphasized the significance of coordinating stances with Saudi Arabia on regulating the energy market and oil prices within the framework of OPEC.

Al Sudani met Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud and his accompanying delegation.

The meeting discussed expanding the economic partnership between the two countries.

“Iraq welcomes the entry of Saudi companies into the Iraqi market, in which there are many great investment opportunities today," Al Sudani said. He highlighted the “advanced level” of relations between the two countries, especially in the investment and energy sectors.

The Saudi minister conveyed the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, expressing his country's desire to continue strengthening bilateral partnership and cooperation with Iraq in various fields.



Biden, Trump Security Advisers Meet to Pass Ceremonial Baton

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (L) hands a baton to incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz during an event at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (L) hands a baton to incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz during an event at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
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Biden, Trump Security Advisers Meet to Pass Ceremonial Baton

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (L) hands a baton to incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz during an event at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (L) hands a baton to incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz during an event at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)

Top advisers to US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump put aside their differences - mostly - for a symbolic "passing of the torch" event focused on national security issues on Tuesday.

Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan passed a ceremonial baton to US Congressman Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for the same job, in a revival of a Washington ritual organized by the nonpartisan United States Institute of Peace since 2001.

The two men are normally in the media defending their bosses' opposing views on Ukraine, the Middle East and China.

On Tuesday, Waltz and Sullivan politely searched for common ground on a panel designed to project the continuity of power in the United States.

"It's like a very strange, slightly awkward version of 'The Dating Game,' you know the old game where you wrote down your answer, and that person wrote down their answer, and you see how much they match up," said Sullivan.

The event offered a preview of what may be in store on Monday when Trump is inaugurated as president. This peaceful transfer of power, a hallmark of more than two centuries of American democracy, comes four years after Trump disputed and never conceded his loss in the 2020 election.

This time the two sides are talking. Sullivan, at Biden's request, has briefed Waltz privately, at length, on the current administration's policy around the world even as the Trump aide has regularly said the new team will depart radically from it.

Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Biden's envoy Brett McGurk are working together this week to close a ceasefire deal in the region for hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Asked about the key challenges facing the new administration, Waltz and Sullivan on Tuesday both pointed to the California wildfires and China.

Sullivan also highlighted a hostage deal and artificial intelligence as key issues.

Waltz pointed to the US border with Mexico, an area where Trump has ripped Biden's approach.

But he credited the Biden administration with deepening ties between US allies in Asia.

For all the bonhomie between the two men, and the talk of the prospects for peace in the Middle East, Waltz painted a picture of the grimmer decisions awaiting him in his new job.

"Evil does exist," he said. "Sometimes you just have to put bombs on foreheads."