Iraq summit for ‘regional stability’ pushed back over Gaza war

An international summit in Baghdad on “regional stability” planned for late November has been postponed due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, an Iraqi official said.

The third edition of the Baghdad conference “for economic integration and regional stability,” co-organized by France, “is postponed until further notice due to the regional events” in the Middle East, said Farhad Alaaldin, adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.

Confirming a report by French daily Le Figaro, Alaaldin said the Baghdad summit, which French President Emmanuel Macron was due to attend, had been pushed back “to focus on Iraq’s efforts to reach a ceasefire and help the Palestinian people and their plight.”

He did not say who was behind the postponement or when the summit would be held.

The gathering, which follows one in Baghdad in 2021 and another in Jordan late last year, was announced by the Iraqi and French governments in August to establish “a regional agenda in support of Iraqi sovereignty” after years of unrest.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Iraq’s prime minister has criticized “the occupation,” accusing Israel of committing “genocide” against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The Palestinians enjoy broad support in Iraqi politics and society.

Since the Gaza conflict began, there have been a string of attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria, deployed to the region as part of an international anti-terrorist coalition.

A group has claimed responsibility for many of the recent strikes on US forces via Telegram channels affiliated with pro-Iranian factions.

The surge in attacks on US troops is linked to the war between Hamas and Israel, which has had strong backing from Washington.

The US has said Tehran shares the blame for some of the attacks by its regional proxies.