Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein discussed bilateral relations and regional developments in Riyadh.
According to a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the parties discussed ways to strengthen relations. The joint statement emphasized the importance of respect for national sovereignty, good neighborliness, non-interference in internal affairs, and the rejection of the use of any country's territory to threaten the security of other countries.
The Iraqi side also reiterated its commitment not to allow its territory or airspace to be used as a launch point for any action or attack against Saudi Arabia, member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), or regional countries.
The meeting expressed the need to support Iraq's security and stability, strengthen the role of its national institutions, and maintain coordination between the two countries in a way that serves common interests.
The meeting took place at a time of high tension in the region. The US and Israel had declared war on Iran, Iraq's neighbor, on February 28; the Tehran administration announced that more than 3,000 people were killed in the attacks. Iran had also carried out retaliatory attacks on American and Israeli targets.
Iran had also carried out attacks that it said targeted US bases and interests in Gulf countries; however, some of these attacks had caused civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. The targeted countries had condemned the attacks and demanded they be stopped.
GCC members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait had also been subjected to attacks that, according to the Council and the US, originated from Iran-linked armed groups in Iraq. Iraq, for its part, had repeatedly condemned these attacks.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in an interview at the end of June that it had not been proven that attacks on Gulf countries were launched from Iraqi territory.
Meanwhile, a memorandum of understanding had been signed on June 18 as a result of negotiations between Washington and Tehran mediated by Qatar and Pakistan. However, US President Donald Trump announced a few days ago that the agreement with Iran had "ended." Tensions between the two countries had escalated again.
