Saudi Arabia renewed an invitation for Iraq’s prime minister to visit Riyadh, as the two countries try to move past a recent exchange of fire.
A planned trip by the Iraqi premier was cancelled at short notice last month, after Iran-backed militias in Iraq launched drones at Saudi energy facilities; Riyadh responded with airstrikes carried out with the US against the armed groups.
Baghdad finds itself caught in the middle of regional rivalries. It is keen to attract investment from its richer Gulf neighbors to develop its economy, but officials are understandably wary of Iranian influence on Iraqi politics.
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has also undermined Iraqi oil exports, though Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC has helped get some through the chokepoint.