Jan 10, 2020

Following the latest hostilities between the United States and Iran inside Iraq, Baghdad has reportedly resumed negotiations with Moscow over reinforcing its air defenses. Mohammed Raza, chairman of the Iraqi parliament’s Defense and Security Committee, told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency that talks to purchase the S-300 missile system are underway.

Raza said he wasn’t aware of how far along the deal is, but insisted that a possible agreement with Russia is authorized by the Iraqi leadership.

“This should have been settled long ago. But we are expecting a lot of opposition to the deal from the United States,” Raza said. He conceded that earlier attempts to strike an agreement were rolled back over “American threats of sanctions.”

Why it matters: Russia is making tacit moves throughout the Middle East to ensure its status as a deal-maker and a reliable mediator amid a turbulent start to the new year.

Last September, Al-Monitor reported on Russian-Iraqi contacts over a potential reinforcement of protection for the Iraqi skies. The contacts followed Israeli strikes on Iran-linked militias. At the time, Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) leader Falih al-Fayadh visited Moscow for talks with the secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, and other officials.