Aug 9, 2018

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s comments that his country would abide by US sanctions has taken Iranian media by surprise.

"As a matter of principle we are against sanctions in the region," Abadi said at a press conference Aug. 8. "Blockade and sanctions destroy societies and weaken regimes." He added that they are a "strategic mistake" but that Iraq "will abide by them."

Given Iran's immediate and unconditional support for Iraq after the rise of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in northern Iraq in 2014, compared with that of the delayed and conditional support of the United States, Iranian media and social media users were very critical of Abadi's support of US sanctions. One official even mentioned memories of the Iran-Iraq War.

Iranian parliamentarian Mahmoud Sadeghi, who is an outspoken official, particularly on Twitter, tweeted, "The Iraqi government, according to Article 6 of Resolution 598 [which ended the Iran-Iraq War], owes the Iranian government 1.1 trillion dollars in reparations for the imposed war [Iran-Iraq War]. The Iranian government, given the restrictions on the people of Iraq, has postponed its demands on these reparations. Now, the prime minister of Iraq, instead of paying up, will cooperate with oppressive sanctions against the people of Iran."

In an article in Russian-funded Sputnik, Emad Abshenas wrote that Abadi, who is still trying to form a government after the Iraqi elections in May, made double-sided comments both criticizing the sanctions and abiding by them in order to attract maximum approval from Iraq's parliament. Abshenas wrote that during Iraqi elections officials attempt to portray themselves as being bipartisan and independent and there is no country better suited than Iran for officials to use in order to achieve this end, either through indirect criticism or with friendly gestures toward Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional foe. Abshenas noted that Abadi visited Saudi Arabia before visiting Iran, despite the closer relations between Tehran and Baghdad.