The recently concluded visit to Tehran by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and his delegation, during which he met with Iran’s Supreme Leader and president, was one of the most important foreign trips by Iraqi officials since the country is passing through a very difficult stage.

The rising insecurity, a conspiracy against Iraq’s elected government by Baathists and Salafists, and the fact that the U.S. has been arming terrorist groups have put Iraq in a very sensitive and ambiguous situation. Thus, Iraq should count on Iran’s sincere support to extricate itself from this predicament. Iraq is currently facing three crises. One is domestic, another regional, and the third international. At home, certain totalitarian elements are trying to undermine the democratization process, turn the clock back to the days of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, and seize power through armed insurrection. These groups have been organizing their forces and have held secret meetings in the capitals of certain Arab states with the goal of finding an opportunity to topple the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Certain Arab states in the region have been uncomfortable about Iraq’s moves toward democracy and a parliamentary system and are trying to weaken the position of the Maliki government and marginalize the Iraqi majority. The recent disclosure of some secret documents shows that a certain regional Arab state is spending copious sums of money to encourage Iraqi tribes to disrupt the Iraqi political system. This is one of the plots of regional Arab states targeting Iraq’s national security and territorial integrity. It is being implemented because these countries are unhappy about the democratization process in Iraq, the empowerment of the Shia majority, and the expansion of Iran-Iraq relations. Meanwhile, under the influence of Arab regional states, the occupation forces have become concerned about Iran’s influence in Iraq and are trying to undermine the Iraqi government and prepare the ground for the establishment of a secular, tribally-oriented government which would be politically aligned with Arab states. The United States’ recent decision to arm the Salafi and terrorist groups and its unfair criticism of the Iraqi government show that there is a U.S.-Arab plot against the country’s government. Grasping the situation and realizing the need to rely on the great potential of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Talabani and other Iraqi officials are making efforts to foil the plot against the elected government. During his visit to Tehran, Talabani tried to pave the way for a second round of Iran-U.S. talks on Iraq’s security situation because he believes such dialogue will encourage the United States to correct its former and current mistakes and avoid being influenced by one-sided and illogical statements. Security can be reestablished in Iraq more rapidly and U.S. forces can be safer if the U.S. listens to Iran’s advice. Talabani’s visit to Tehran had extensive political dimensions which will help shape Iraq’s destiny because, unlike the country’s Arab neighbors, Iran wants a stable and secure Iraq. Iran cannot be indifferent to events in Iraq because any insecurity in Iraq directly influences Iran’s economic, political, and cultural security since the two countries share long borders and have ideological affinities. Thus Talabani’s trip to Iran was a milestone that opened a new chapter in Tehran-Baghdad relations, which will promote regional cooperation and convergence and help Iraq end the instability and safeguard its territorial integrity