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Fuad Hussein says U.S.-Iran ‘neither war nor peace’ cannot continue
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told France 24 on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum that events would ultimately move toward either peace or war. He denied the presence of Iranian military units in Iraq and described the U.S. request to close border crossings with Iran as “impossible.”
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein described the situation between the United States and Iran as “neither war nor peace,” warning that this situation “cannot continue” and that events would ultimately move either toward peace or war.
Hussein made the remarks in an interview with France 24 on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum, as U.S. President Donald Trump signals that he may resume strikes on Iran.
In this excerpt from the interview, the Iraqi foreign minister says in English that the current situation can be described as “neither war nor peace,” adding: “But this cannot continue. It will either move toward peace or toward war.”
Iraqi mediation and denial of Iranian forces’ presence
Hussein said Baghdad was engaging diplomatically with regional and international parties to contain the repercussions of the conflict and prevent renewed strikes. He said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi’s visit to Tehran was part of efforts to bring Iran and the United States closer together, alongside Gulf mediation efforts. France 24 reported that the minister said the U.S. envoy had asked the Iraqi prime minister to undertake this mediation.
Regarding Iran’s military presence, Hussein said: “Militarily, they are not present in Iraq. If you are talking about Iranian military units in Iraq, they are not there.” He acknowledged that relations with Tehran were difficult despite the strong ties between the two countries.
He said Iraq had suffered major financial losses because navigation through the Strait of Hormuz had been disrupted, affecting oil exports. On placing weapons under state control, he said progress had been made with armed factions, noting that two factions still refused to hand over their weapons.
Border crossings: “A punishment for the Iraqi people”
The minister also addressed U.S. pressure to close border crossings with Iran, an issue he disclosed earlier this month when he said the U.S. Treasury Department had asked Baghdad to close all crossings with Iran except two, as part of Washington’s policy of increasing economic pressure on Tehran.
In this excerpt, Hussein says the request appears to be a “general policy linked to sanctions” drawn up in Washington and that it will be requested of all countries neighboring Iran. He adds: “It is difficult, and it would amount to a kind of punishment for the Iraqi people. We are discussing it with them, and we have not implemented it so far. This is impossible.”
Video: France 24. Photo: Al-Saa Network
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