Mohammed Al Sadiq.. the shadow man on the Iranian helm in Iraq
Shafaq News / It is no exaggeration to say that diplomatic relations between Tehran and Baghdad have advanced significantly since the era of the first ambassador, Hassan Kadhim Qummi (2003), to the newly appointed ambassador, Mohammad Kadhim Al Sadiq.
The common denominator of all the Iranian ambassadors who have settled in Baghdad in the pre and post-2003 eras is the need to balance the ties in accordance with the requirements of the corresponding era.
Politicians and analysts believe that after removing Saddam Hussein's "danger," Iran should have continued its diplomatic path without acting like a victor.
According to observers, that is a warning that has been voiced repeatedly while also forcing it to act according to the traditions and protocols of foreign ambassadors accredited in countries.
In an interview with the Iranian official News, Hassan Kadhim Qummi, Iran's first ambassador to Baghdad, summed up much of the dramatic shift in relations between Tehran and Baghdad, saying that "when the decision was made that 10 million visitors travel between the two countries each year, it means that there is no power that can break this strong link."
He also stated that nearly 9 million Iraqis lived in Iran during the Saddam era, not in displacement tents, but as citizens dispersed throughout Iran.
As a result, any Iranian ambassador to Baghdad should be aware of the balancing act of the "strong link" mentioned by Iran's first ambassador to Baghdad.
As the new ambassador, Al Sadiq is expected to carry out the formula established by Tehran in its dealings with the "Iraqi neighbor" over the past two decades.
The Iranian son of Najaf..
Mohammad Kadhim Al Sadiq, born in Iraq in Najaf governorate, is fluent in Arabic because he has been in Iraq since the fall of Saddam's regime, according to a reliable source at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad.
Despite the sensitive nature of his position at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad for many years, Al Sadiq was able to distance himself from the media and focus on working behind the scenes, despite Iraqi events and transformations, and remained the shadow man of the ambassador assigned to represent his country in the Iraqi capital.
According to the source, Al Sadiq has served as a political advisor to Iranian ambassadors since 2003.
"The Iranian Foreign Ministry chose Mohammad Al Sadiq three months ago, after Iraq's parliamentary elections that resulted in a decline in the influence of the majority of the forces loyal to or funded by Tehran."
According to the source, Mohammad Al Sadiq initially rejected the post. Still, orders from Tehran compelled him to change his mind and accept the diplomatic mission, which is one of the most sensitive and important diplomatic roles at the Foreign Ministry.
I.R.G.C. camp..
During the Saddam Hussein era, Iran maintained close ties with Iraqi opposition forces, helping to establish, finance, support, and even arm many of them.
Nevertheless, Mohammad Al Sadiq, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp's (I.R.G.C.) Quds Force, as well as outgoing Ambassador Iraj Masjedi and former ambassador Hassan Danaifar, were among Iran's closest figures to Iraqi opposition groups, particularly Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, who founded the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (S.C.I.R.I.) in cooperation with the Iranians, before being killed by bombing in 2003.
Given his long time behind the scenes in Iraq, observers believe Mohammed Al Sadiq will use those old relations to reshape Iranian interests amid the current political impasse in Iraq.
"Al Sadiq has been appointed as the new ambassador to Iraq to succeed Iraj Masjedi," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stated, adding that the new ambassador will "start his work next week."
He pointed out that Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein will "visit Tehran within the next days."
It is worth noting that the recent days of outgoing Ambassador Iraj Masjedi saw a deterioration in Iran-Iraq relations, following an Iranian bombing of Erbil in the guise of targeting an "Israeli position."
The federal and regional governments saw the bombing as a violation of good relations and common interests, as well as an attack on sovereignty, prompting the Iraqi Foreign Ministry to summon Masjedi to hand him a protest note.
In any case, Mohammad Al Sadiq, Masjedi before him, the first ambassadors in Baghdad, Hassan Kadhim Qummi, and then Hassan Danaifar - who was born in Iraq but expelled with his family by Saddam Hussein and thus lived in Iran - all served in the Quds Force, confirming the I.R.G.C.'s central role in shaping and implementing Iranian policy in Iraq.
