Iraq summons Iranian ambassador over Gulf naming dispute

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador in Baghdad, Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq, to seek clarification over posts by some Iranian diplomatic missions abroad concerning regional maps and accompanying comments that Iraqi officials said were inconsistent with the depth of relations between the two countries.

Deputy Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Legal Affairs Shorsh Khalid Saeed met Al-e Sadeq to discuss the posts, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, Saeed stressed “the importance of continuing consultation and coordination between the two sides regarding current developments and their repercussions on the countries of the region, particularly Iraq.”

He also called for unresolved regional disputes to be addressed through diplomatic channels and dialogue in ways that support security and stability.

The summons follows a public exchange last week between Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf over competing names for the Gulf. Ghalibaf posted a photograph showing a map labeled “Persian Gulf,” prompting al-Halbousi to respond with a map marked “Arabian Gulf” a day after the two held official talks in Baghdad.

The naming dispute has long carried political sensitivity. Iran officially uses “Persian Gulf,” which is also the terminology used in United Nations geographic references, while Iraq and several other Arab states commonly use “Arabian Gulf.”

The ministry said Al-e Sadeq expressed Iran’s readiness to continue cooperation and coordination with Iraq in various fields and pointed to the historical and social ties between the neighboring countries.

During their Baghdad meeting, al-Halbousi and Ghalibaf had discussed bilateral relations, trade, parliamentary coordination and regional developments, including Iraq’s economic interests in oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.