Iranian commander lobbies Iraq's Muqtada al-Sadr for 'inclusive' approach to Shiite parties
Iranian Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani is seeking to maintain unity among the Shiite political ranks before the formation of the new government, including a role for parties affiliated with Iran.
The official website of Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist movement in Iraq, published Feb. 8 a brief statement noting that Sadr received the commander of the Iranian Quds Force, Esmail Ghaani, that same day.
The website did not publish a photo of the two during the meeting, nor did it mention any details even after it ended. However, Sadr tweeted a few hours later, “Neither Eastern nor Western — a national majority government."
With the phrase “neither Eastern nor Western,” Sadr means that the government should be subservient to neither Iran nor the United States. According to Arabic Khamenei website, Sadr is quoting previous speeches by leader of the Iranian Revolution in Iran Ruhollah Khomeini.
This is the third time that Ghaani has visited Iraq after the approval of the election results on Dec. 27, to facilitate the formation of new government. He had previously tried to meet Muqtada al-Sadr, but it only happened in the most recent visit. Ghaani was carrying a message from the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
