Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Tuesday that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's visit to Iran last week was part of Baghdad's efforts to narrow differences between Tehran and Washington and help reduce tensions and end the war.
"The prime minister's visit to Tehran was an attempt to bring the Iranian and American sides closer together, and there are other efforts as well," Hussein told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum in the French capital.
"We advocate peace and de-escalation, not war," he added.
Zaidi's visit to Iran and his continued contacts with the US reflected Baghdad's role in de-escalation efforts, drawing on Iraq's relations with both countries, Hussein said.
"We have strong relations with neighboring Iran and excellent relations with the United States, and for that reason Iraq can play this role," he said.
Hussein added that other countries are also making similar efforts to narrow differences between Washington and Tehran.
He warned of the economic and security consequences of the continuing war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that Iraq has a direct interest in ending the escalation.
"The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has negatively affected Iraq's financial and economic situation," Hussein said, also pointing to casualties and the expansion of the conflict into Iraq and Gulf countries.
He warned that continued instability would have negative repercussions for global energy and raw-material markets, including oil and metals, adding that he had discussed those consequences during the Paris Peace Forum.
Iraq revealed Monday that Zaidi had made an unannounced visit to Tehran last Friday to discuss reducing tensions and ending the war between Iran and the US.
Iraq's ambassador to Tehran, Yasser Abdul Zahra al-Hajjaj, said the trip was "private and unannounced" and focused on ways to ease tensions and defuse the conflict in the region.
According to Iranian media reports, Zaidi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf during the visit and discussed initiatives to resume negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
The visit came a day after a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Zaidi on Thursday, during which they discussed regional developments and security issues, according to an Iraqi statement.
On Nov. 6, Hussein proposed forming a committee comprising foreign ministers from several regional countries to visit Tehran and Washington in an effort to reach peaceful understandings and reduce tensions.
The proposal came during a phone call between Hussein and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during which the latter outlined Tehran's vision for resuming negotiations, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing disputes over Iran's nuclear file.
Iraq's diplomatic efforts come amid continuing fallout from the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28 and the subsequent Iranian response, which disrupted shipping and energy supplies across the region.
Disagreements regarding the cessation of military operations, the lifting of sanctions, the naval blockade against Iran, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz continue to hinder the reaching of a settlement to end the war.
