Iran and Hezbollah did not knock on Sadr’s door: The Shiite-Shiite agreement is just around the corner

Written by – Elijah J. Magnier:

The inter Shiite negotiations in Iraq are progressing slowly and positively within the “coordinating framework” representing all the Shiite parties and Sayed Muqtada al-Sadr, who has distanced himself from the other Shia groups. However, the participation of the Prime Minister and former Vice President Nuri al-Maliki is still under discussion because al-Sadr has refused to include him in any future government. Nonetheless, it is too early to conclude the negotiation course because there is still time to choose a unified Shiite bloc that will elect the President of the republic and the next prime minister.

The commander of the “Al-Quds Brigade” in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), General Ismail Qaani, visited Iraq for a few days, as did the Lebanese Hezbollah official, responsible for the Iraqi file Sheikh Muhammad Kawtharani. Both met with the Shia leaders and Iraqi officials to try and ease the political stalemate. News from Baghdad wrongly claimed that both men requested a meeting with Muqtada al-Sadr twice but were turned down. 

Reliable sources in Najaf and Baghdad confirmed to me that General Qaani and Sheikh Kawtharani never asked to meet al-Sadr and prefer not to interfere as long as the Shiite-Shiite differences have reduced to the minimum. Moreover, Sayed al-Sadr did not ask for mediation. On the contrary, he told the “framework” that he wished everyone in the Shia and non-Shia groups to emerge victoriously.

Proofread by: Maurice Brasher