Iraq will not be turned into arena for war, says foreign minister
The foreign ministers of Iran and Iraq have said at a news conference in Baghdad they hope to prevent Israel from dragging the Middle East into full-scale war.
“Communications are ongoing to push the spectre of war away from the region,” Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told reporters, shortly after welcoming his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.
“If there is a war, Iraq and its airspace must be kept out of it.”
Araghchi said Tehran is prepared for both a ceasefire and war, but is pushing to stop Israeli aggression against Gaza and Lebanon. His regional tour has also been aimed at ensuring Arab countries of the region do not allow Israel to use their airspace to carry out its promised attack on Iran.
Upon arriving in the Iraqi capital, Araghchi visited the site where Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani was assassinated by the US in January 2020 while travelling with Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
He is going to Oman next, potentially eyeing a crucial Jordan visit as well.
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, right, welcomes his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Baghdad on Sunday
Suez Canal Authority: Red Sea situation an ‘exceptional crisis’
The current situation in the Red Sea constitutes an unprecedented and “exceptional crisis” for the region as navigation through the vital canal to the Mediterranean Sea has plummeted because of Houthi attacks, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority says.
Osama Rabie told the Global Logistics Forum in Saudi Arabia it’s also a “major security challenge that has had a negative impact and repercussions on the sustainability of global supply chains, ship transit rates through the canal, and the flow of goods”.
The number of ships passing through the canal fell from 25,887 during the fiscal year 2022-23 to 20,148 ships in 2023-24. Revenue decreased from $9.4bn to $7.2bn.
A container ship crosses the Gulf of Suez towards the Red Sea
