Arab Media: Baghdad Not Ready to Host Saudi Crown Prince

Baghdad has decided to postpone a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the country, a source close to the Iraqi prime minister said.

The source was quoted by Arabi 21 news website as saying that given the regional conditions, Baghdad cannot host the Saudi crown prince.

This is while during his recent trip to Riyadh, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had invited bin Salman to visit Baghdad in November.

Jassem Jafar, a senior Iraqi parliamentarian, said that the recent events in Saudi Arabia, the region and Lebanon, specially resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, have complicated the situation.

“Iraq wants to remain independent and not to support any side and the time is naturally not ripe for the Saudi crown prince’s visit unless the results of the current events will be clear,” he added.

Reports said in October that bin Salman will visit Baghdad soon after the recent rapprochement between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Sources said that Abdul Hussein al-Ezerjawi, a leader in the National Iraqi Allainace (NIA), has asserted that the Saudi crown prince’s visit comes as a response to Abadi’s recent visit to Riyadh.