Initiative to Halt Iranian Harassment
Kuwaiti officials closely followed the statement by Qasim al-Araji, the Security Advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, regarding a proposal to establish a “unified security coordination council” between Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. They paused to reflect at length on this initiative, as it appears disconnected from reality, at least in the Iraqi context, which requires substantial efforts to eliminate militias affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Such an outcome could theoretically be achieved if relations among the three countries were based on mutual respect for sovereignty and good neighborliness, and non-aggression. However, when Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states become battlegrounds for Iranian-backed Iraqi or Yemeni militias, the proposal appears to be an attempt to absolve Iran of the aggression it periodically launches against its neighboring countries.
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Over the past six months, the Tehran-backed gangs did not act independently; rather, they executed the agenda of the Revolutionary Guard, attacking Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states, while Iran bombarded our countries with missiles and drones, striking civilian targets.
In this war, people were killed and interests destroyed. After all this, can we really return to trusting a neighbor of this kind?
This statement has been issued by some Iraqi officials, whose government announced more than a month ago that it would work to monopolize weapons within the state. Just days ago, Iran-backed armed factions announced unreasonable conditions, effectively reneging on an agreement they had previously endorsed. Meanwhile, the visit of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf further complicated matters, particularly when he insisted on displaying a map behind him that labeled the body of water as the “Persian Gulf.”
If these events are taken at face value, they point to one conclusion: this initiative will not halt harassment against Gulf states. How can it possibly guarantee security against Iran in the future?
For decades, we have watched how Iran has acted in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, using these proxies to destabilize countries, wage wars, and commit terrorist acts in service of Iranian interests.
This was never a mere contest between two teams; it was war in every sense of the word. Can diplomacy restore the lives lost? Can the aggression waged by the Houthi group in the Red Sea against Saudi and other ships, as well as attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, go unpunished?
The Iraqi initiative appears stillborn, as one of the parties involved (Iran) harbors hidden intentions contrary to its public declarations. As the old saying goes, a book is judged by its title.
