Barak: Iraq holds the key to dialogue with Iran, and we encourage strengthening trade and visits between them.
Barak: Iraq holds the key to dialogue with Iran, and we encourage strengthening trade and visits between them.
2026-11-11
Shafaq News – London
US envoy Tom Barrack asserted on Wednesday that Iraq possesses the “magic key” to resolving regional crises and managing dialogue with Iran, emphasizing that Washington encourages Baghdad to strengthen its trade relations and religious visits with Tehran instead of adopting a hostile stance.
Barak said during a dialogue session hosted by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, in London, and followed by Shafaq News Agency, that “the United States wants to learn from the lessons of the past and acknowledge the importance of the rule of law and democracy,” adding that “we must review what we have done for 23 years in Iraq; we were guests in this country, and many times we were bad guests, and we were not the owners of the house.”
The US envoy explained that “Iraq has a special and difficult situation as a result of the religious commonalities and extensive borders with Iran, which requires following a special policy towards the two countries,” noting that “Washington’s position is not to make Iraq an enemy of Iran, but rather to enable it to be the magic key to the doors of solutions, and to conduct dialogues that the United States cannot lead directly, in parallel with the continuation of the US economic embargo on Tehran and the threat of the military option if necessary.”
Regarding the withdrawal of the US-led international coalition against ISIS from Iraq, Barak said: “Our position has been clear from the beginning; the international coalition will withdraw from Iraq and as guests we have left, but we will remain as a permanent partner and we will not leave Iraq,” adding: “Washington will not stay forever to directly guarantee security and stability, but rather seeks to support Iraq’s unity, stability and the rule of law so that it can protect itself in a region that is constantly changing.”
shafaq.com
