TEHRAN, Iran—Iraq on Wednesday, Jan. 6, offered to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran after tensions soared following the kingdom’s execution of a Shiite cleric and attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in the Islamic Republic.
The standoff has seen Saudi Arabia sever diplomatic ties with its longtime regional rival and could hinder efforts to resolve the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, where Riyadh and Tehran back opposite sides, as well as affect the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal.
The Shiite-led government in Baghdad relies on Iranian help to battle ISIS while trying to repair its own ties to oil-rich Saudi Arabia.
