TEHRAN – The leader of the al-Iraqiya List, Ayad Allawi, has sent a representative to Tehran to invite Iran to intervene in the political dispute that has embroiled the Iraqi major political groups, according to a report recently published on the Arabic-language news website of nakhelnews. 

The dispute arose after an arrest warrant was issued for Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi on December 19, 2011, on the charge of ordering assassinations of government officials.   

Allawi has dispatched Iraqi Minister of Communications Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, who is also one of his relatives, to Tehran, the report said, quoting an unidentified informed source. 

The source also said that Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq had contacted Iranian officials and announced his readiness to make a trip to Tehran, but Iran did not agree to the visit. 

A number of news agencies had also reported that Iraqi political blocs, including the Kurdistan bloc, have held talks with Iran over the dispute. 

However, Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Hassan Danaiifar told IRNA on December 30, 2011, that Iran has not received any request from Iraq and that Tehran believes the matter is an internal issue and will not intervene in it. 

Some political analysts believe that the dispute is a conspiracy fueled by Saudi Arabia and Qatar due to the support that Baghdad provides for the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.