Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces received on Thursday a high-level Saudi security and military delegation in Baghdad to discuss strategies to enhance border control and intelligence cooperation.
According to a statement cited by the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), the discussions were attended by Director of the Commander-in-Chief’s Office Abdul Amir al-Shammari, the head of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, and senior officials from Iraq’s security and intelligence agencies.
The meeting focused on improving security measures along the shared border and increasing the exchange of intelligence data.
The discussion comes after an Iraqi security delegation held meetings in Riyadh and follows diplomatic and defense dialogues between the two countries.
Baghdad and Riyadh seek improved security and military cooperation after weeks of heightened tensions in Iraq involving Iran-backed militias.
Al-Shammari met with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman earlier in August to discuss military cooperation, regional developments, and increased coordination between the two nations.
The meeting addressed cross-border drone concerns, air defense, and intelligence collaboration. It followed a joint US-Saudi airstrike targeting sites of Iran-linked militias in Iraq on July 29.
Washington and Riyadh said the operation targeted Iran-backed terrorists’ weapons and logistical facilities in response to a series of drone assaults on Saudi oil installations that they said originated in Iraqi territory.
Both Iraq and Saudi Arabia are attempting to restore security trust after the July escalation and prevent militia activities from dragging the two neighboring nations into a conflict.
