Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haider al-Abadi responds to his Iranian counterpart in the Persian Gulf - Sarmad

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Heibat al-Halbousi posted a photo on his X account featuring a map labeled “Arabian Gulf” in the background, in response to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, less than 24 hours after the two met in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional developments.

Social media users viewed the post as a response to a photo shared by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, in which he was seated in front of a similar map labeled “Persian Gulf.”

Coinciding with his arrival in Iraq on Wednesday, the Iranian parliament speaker had posted a photo of himself with a map of the Arabian Gulf showing the Strait of Hormuz and both sides of the gulf, accompanied by the caption “Persian Gulf.”

Qalibaf visited Iraq on Wednesday, holding a series of meetings with political, governmental, and religious leaders. He also met with his Iraqi counterpart, and the two held talks in the Parliament building located in the Green Zone of Baghdad.