Explainer: How Iraq planted the seeds for China's Saudi-Iran deal
Iran and Saudi Arabia finalized their negotiations in Beijing after five sessions of mediation in Baghdad since 2019.
Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement last Friday to resume diplomatic relations. The negotiations between the two countries had been initiated by Iraq, but the final agreement was reached and signed by the two countries' national security chiefs in Beijing.
Both countries afterward praised Iraq's prior mediation, and Baghdad hopes to find a further role for itself.
Background of Iraq's role
The relationship between Tehran and Riyadh had been severed since 2016. Iraq has a long border with both countries and is home to millions of Shiites and Sunnis. Between 2019 and 2021, a number of attacks occurred against Saudi Arabia, some of which were blamed on Iraqi militias backed by Iran.
