Iraqi Shia leader reaffirms support for JCPOA revival in meeting with MBS
TEHRAN — In a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday, Sayyid Ammar al-Hakim, leader of Iraq's National Wisdom Movement, said reaching a deal in the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal should be viewed as a possible opportunity in the future.
According to CNN, citing the official Saudi news agency, the two sides also discussed Saudi-Iraq relations and a number of issues of common significance.
The meeting was attended by Khaled bin Salman, Deputy Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia; Musa’id bin Muhammad Al-Aiban, Saudi National Security Adviser; Abdul Aziz Al-Shammari, Saudi Ambassador to Iraq; and Sayyid Mohsen Al-Hakim, Deputy Chairman of Iraq's National Wisdom Movement.
Hakim went on to say that the Vienna talks should be viewed as an opportunity for all parties to look at the future positively and seek common goals to help stabilize the region.
Hakim also pointed to the role of Iraq in mediating talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, saying it will have positive effect on the nations of the region.
So far, Iraq has hosted five rounds of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi crown prince has suggested dialogue between the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran after dozens of Iranian students attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran in January 2016 in protest to the execution of 40 pro-democracy activists.
In the end, Hakim stressed the importance of making satisfactory decisions for the Arab nations at the upcoming meeting of Arab heads of state in Algeria to heal the wounds of the Arab world, emphasizing the centrality of the Palestinian cause and the importance of this issue in unifying Arab nations.