TEHRAN – Iran once again has called on Iraqi political factions to stick to dialogue to overcome the current political crisis facing Iraq. 

Underlining the need to maintain unity in Iraq, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said, “All the main political currents of Iraq should agree on a way out of the existing political problems through interactive dialogue.”

The remarks were made in a phone call between Ayatollah Raisi and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Monday. 

President Raisi emphasized the necessity of implementing the agreements made in relation to the moves of the Iraqi government to improve the political climate of the region and welcomed the acceleration of interactive measures following the implementation of the agreements, according to a readout put out by the Iranian presidency.

In another part of the conversation, President Raisi emphasized the need to facilitate the travel of Iranian pilgrims, especially during the Arbaeen ceremony, which the Iraqi prime minister also promised in this regard.

The Iraqi prime minister also emphasized that he would personally follow the issues related to the presence of Iranian pilgrims in the Arbaeen ceremony.

During the telephone conversation, referring to the role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region and the world, al-Kadhimi emphasized that he would continue his efforts to improve and raise the level of regional relations and cooperation.

Iraq has been racked by a political commotion since the October 2021 parliamentary election which handed the Sadrist movement a clear, yet inconclusive, victory. 

A few weeks ago, the Sadrists began an open-ended sit-in at the Iraqi parliament and on Tuesday the expanded it to include the Iraqi judiciary, a move that prompted al-Kadhimi to cut his visit to Egypt and return to Baghdad to follow the developments. 

“PM @MAKadhimi cuts short his visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt and returns to Baghdad in light of recent developments in the country, and to follow-up directly the work of the security forces in protecting the institutions of the judiciary and the state,” the Iraqi government said in a statement on Twitter. 

It added, “PM @MAKadhimi warned that disrupting the work of the judicial institution exposes the country to real dangers, stressing that the right to protest is constitutionally guaranteed but with the need to respect state institutions. PM @MAKadhimi called for calm, and for an immediate meeting of the leaders of political forces in order to activate the national dialogue and defuse the crisis.”

On August 17, the Iraqi prime minister issued another statement calling for a national dialogue among the country’s political factions. This statement came after al-Kadhimi’s meeting with most Iraqi political leaders. The Sadrist movement boycotted the meeting. 

“The participants expressed their commitment to the national fundamentals, and to finding a solution to all crises through dialogue and adopting a spirit of brotherhood and collaboration in order to preserve the unity of Iraq, the security and stability of its people, the continuity of the constitutional democratic system. They emphasized prioritizing the supreme national interests and the spirit of solidarity among the people of the same country to address the current political crisis,” the statement said.

It added, “The participants called on the brothers in the Sadrist Movement to engage in the national dialogue in order to put in place mechanisms for a comprehensive solution to serve the aspirations of the Iraqi people and achieve their goals. The participants agreed to continue the national dialogue in order to develop a legal and constitutional road map to address the current crisis.”