No plan for normalization of ties with Israeli regime

Speaking on the sidelines of Bahrain's annual Manama Dialogue conference, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein said that Iraq has no plan to normalize relations with the Zionist regime.

He told a Zionist channel that there are many reasons for this decision, but it takes a long time to explain.

According to Fouad Hussein, in addition to the issue of Palestine, Iraq's unwillingness to compromise with the Zionist regime is related to the characteristics of Iraqi society.

His interview with Zionist media provoked a backlash inside Iraq, sparking a wave of condemnation.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has reiterated in a statement Baghdad’s support for the Palestinian cause, stressing that the Arab country categorically rejects any normalization scheme with the Zionist regime.

At issue was Hussein’s interview with a Zionist channel on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue forum, which drew strong reactions inside Iraq due to the fact that the top Iraqi official had accepted to be interviewed by Israeli media.

A senior leader of Iraq’s al-Nujaba resistance movement denounced the decision as an “unjustifiable” action that amounts to support for the Zionist regime.

Elsewhere in his interview, the Iraqi Foreign Minister referred to Baghdad's efforts to resolve the issues between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Iraq is part of the solution to the region's problems, the Iraqi top diplomat said, adding that it plays a major role in resolving tensions between the countries.