Iraq's influential Shiite cleric offers to mediate Iran-Saudi conflict

BAGHDAD, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr offered Tuesday mediation to end the differences between Saudi Arabia and Iran in order to reduce the impact of the conflict on Iraq and the region as well.

In a statement posted on his official website, Sadr said he is ready to mediate the dispute between Iran and Saudi Arabia, "for the benefit of Iraq first and the (Middle East) region second."

Sadr said that the Iran-Saudi conflict is negatively overshadowing Iraq.

The Shiite cleric has a good relationship with Saudi Arabia, as he made a rare visit to the regional powerful Sunni state in July 2017 at invitation by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two held a meeting in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah to discuss issues of common interest.

However, Saudi Arabia has earlier rejected any sort of mediation to end its feud with Iran, accusing Tehran of spreading terrorism and sectarianism in the region and the world.

It is not clear yet whether Iran and the regional Sunni state Saudi Arabia are willing to respond to Sadr's offer.

Sadr has a large number of followers in poor urban communities in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, and in some of the country's southern provinces.

He commands the Shiite Saraya al-Salam militia which is the revival of the previously known as "Mahdi Army" militia after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Enditem