Saudi envoy says Riyadh's Iraq policies will not change

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Baghdad says Riyadh's policies in Iraq will not change, claiming that there is a "very amicable relationship" between the politicians of the two sides.

Thamer al-Sabhan has been under sharp criticism time and again for his interference in the internal affairs of Iraq.

He made the remarks in the wake of calls by the Iraqi government for the regime in Riyadh to change the ambassador.

"Frankly I tried to fulfill my duties... Saudi Arabia's policies in Iraq will not change," Sabhan told the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television on Sunday.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Sabhan said, "We have a very amicable relationship with Iraqi politicians that the media does not capture."

"This is not [a] personal issue. What I said to media and to all Iraqi politicians in the past is that they are limited because they are under pressure from various sides and from other armies and political advisers."

Ahmed Jamal, the spokesman for Iraq’s Foreign Ministry, recently said senior Iraqi officials had urged Riyadh to adopt proper measures and find a replacement for the 49-year-old Saudi diplomat.

Jamal also dismissed as “inaccurate” allegations that fighters from Iraq's pro-government Popular Mobilization Units had devised plots to murder the Saudi envoy, saying such claims were only meant to damage relations between Baghdad and Riyadh.

On August 21, the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper published a report, claiming that Popular Mobilization Units had sought to assassinate Sabhan by targeting his convoy with “rocket-propelled grenades.”

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has ruled out the pro-Riyadh media reports, stressing that no embassy or diplomatic mission in Iraq has communicated with Iraqi authorities about a potential threat.

Jamal also called on reporters and journalists to verify claims before publishing them.

The Iraqi official said all diplomatic missions and embassies in Baghdad were being adequately protected by Iraqi security personnel under the Baghdad Operations Command.

This is not the first time Saudi Arabia and pro-Riyadh media outlets have taken measures aimed at slandering the Shia volunteer forces in Iraq.

Sabhan has on occasions received warnings from Iraqi officials for interference in Iraq's internal affairs.

In June, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi strongly advised the Saudi ambassador to remain committed to his diplomatic duties.

The frequent attempts by Saudi Arabian officials to sully the image of the Shia fighters have raised suspicions about collaboration between Riyadh and the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

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