Ex-minister: Saudi seeks to include Iraq in NATO-like Arab alliance

Iraq’s former Transportation Minister, Amir Abdul-Jabbar, said yesterday that Saudi Arabia is planning to announce the formation of a regional Arab military alliance similar to NATO that includes Iraq, during the upcoming visit of US President Joe Biden to Riyadh this week.

Abdul-Jabbar said on Twitter that “unnamed” Iraqi parties have concluded agreements under the table with stakeholders to be part of the alliance, in return for their assistance to show that they are “true leaders, and push for dismantling the current situation and ending the political blockage in the country.”

“Will (the stakeholders) agree to what is required of them towards the groups that (do not agree)? We will see that soon,” he added.

The Iraqi politician’s comment came amid reports of the formation of a regional military alliance during the US president’s visit to the region, in an effort to counter the alleged threat posed by Iran.

The US president will start his tour of the Middle East today in Israel and the occupied West Bank, he will then head to Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council in addition to Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.

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