Macron’s Practical Step Towards Reducing Iran’s Regional Influence
Macron’s practical step towards reducing Iran’s regional influence. According to Iran Gate, after the special regional conference for Iraq held in Amman, the capital of Jordan, the emphasis of prominent leaders present at the meeting, especially Macron, on reducing the dependency of regional countries, particularly Iraq, on Iran in various fields, was considered a factor in reducing tensions in the region.
Now, with the visit of Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, to Paris, the leaders of Iraq and France announced after a dinner at the Élysée Palace the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement between the two countries.
The signing of this agreement took place one month after Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, emphasized reducing the influence of the Islamic Republic in Iraq. The leaders of France and Iraq stated that this agreement is to strengthen bilateral relations and create a formal and permanent framework for diverse and comprehensive cooperation.
Mr. Shia’ Al Sudani arrived in Paris on Thursday, January 26, for a two-day visit to France and met with Élisabeth Borne, the Prime Minister, and Emmanuel Macron, the President of France.
Strategic Cooperation Between Baghdad and Paris
In the early hours of Friday, January 27, the Élysée Palace released a joint statement from the President of France and the Prime Minister of Iraq announcing the signing of this agreement. According to the provisions of this agreement, the goal of these cooperations is to achieve mutual interests based on equality in sovereignty and rights, in accordance with the principle of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
The joint statement of the two countries mentioned that with this agreement, specific plans in political, military, security, economic, commercial, cultural, environmental, and scientific fields will be implemented to strengthen bilateral relations.
The Prime Minister of Iraq also announced the signing of this agreement in a tweet and wrote, ‘We will continue serious cooperation with our French friends to achieve economic reforms and sustainable development in Iraq, as outlined and planned in the government’s program.’
The leaders of the two countries also emphasized their commitment to continue cooperation within the framework of the regional meeting known as the Baghdad Conference, which was initiated by France and the Baghdad government.
So far, two sessions of the Baghdad Conference have been held, one in Iraq and the other in Jordan, with Macron’s presence. In the second session of this conference, the President of France indirectly emphasized efforts to reduce the influence of the Islamic Republic in Iraq and said that Iraq should pursue a path other than the one dictated from outside.
Implicit Criticism of the Revolutionary Guards
Also, in the joint statement of the leaders of France and Iraq, attacks that undermine Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, from wherever they may occur, were condemned. In recent months, the Revolutionary Guards have conducted attacks against Kurdish groups opposing the Islamic Republic in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Mr. Shia’ Al Sudani’s government emerged from the majority of representatives of Shiite groups in the Iraqi parliament, which are supported by the Islamic Republic.
This stance by Macron was met with reactions from the officials of the Islamic Republic, and the spokesperson of Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that the influence of the Islamic Republic in the region is not shaped by the narratives of this individual or that individual, or this publication or that media.
The signing of the strategic cooperation agreement between Iraq and France comes as Baghdad is under pressure from Washington to prevent the smuggling of dollars from Iraq to Iran. Additionally, Iraq is currently facing a severe devaluation crisis of its national currency, and in recent days, hundreds of people have held a protest in front of the Central Bank of Iraq building in Baghdad.
Mr. Al Sudani, on the eve of his trip to Paris, said he hoped to reach an agreement with France in this trip regarding training and developing Iraq’s security capacities as well as purchasing weapons.
While Iraq’s power grid is outdated and the country is dependent on Iran for energy, Baghdad is also seeking to strengthen Iraq’s energy sector and diversify its energy sources.
Paris and Baghdad emphasized their commitment to complete projects including the modernization of Iraq’s power grid and connecting this grid to Jordan’s power network.
The Islamic Republic Caught Off Guard
After the Islamic Republic’s involvement in the dispute over the selection of the Prime Minister in Iraq to choose Al Sudani, which led observers to still consider Iran influential in Iraq, several surprising remarks and decisions by Al Sudani gradually raised serious doubts about the dominance and influence of the Islamic Republic over the new Prime Minister.
After using the fabricated term ‘Arabian Gulf’ instead of ‘Persian Gulf’ in a tweet from Al Sudani’s account, the Islamic Republic, under public pressure, summoned the Iraqi ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and conveyed the government’s protest to him. However, Al Sudani reiterated the use of this fabricated term in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
Also, after the United States pressured the Iraqi government to seriously control the transfer of dollars to Iran, Al Sudani issued serious orders to fulfill the Americans’ demand and, by stating that there is no deadline for the withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq, delivered another shock to Tehran.
And now, in line with Macron’s desire to reduce the need for Iran, strategic cooperation agreements with France were signed, leading the Islamic Republic to once again be caught off guard in its foreign policy by one of its seemingly friendly allies.
