Saudi Arabia rejects reports of Crown Prince visiting Iraq

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia says there is “no truth” to reports claiming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Iraq.

The Ministry’s statement was released on Saturday following protests that erupted in Baghdad against the Crown Prince’s visit.

Hundreds of people gathered in Baghdad following Friday prayer to voice their opposition to an alleged upcoming visit by the Saudi’s official. They were holding signs calling bin Salman a war criminal, with others blaming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for crimes committed by the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.

Many protesters waved flags of Iraq and the Shia militia Kata'ib Hezbollah.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry’s statement added that “the two brotherly countries” had witnessed “positive developments recently in all fields.”

The office of the Iraqi Prime Minister had previously stated that the Crown Prince was planning to visit Iraq in the near future, but a date had not yet been set.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia have had a strained relationship over the past decades, but recently, tensions have eased following Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's visit to Riyadh last year after ties between Iraq and Saudi Arabia were normalized in 2016.

Editing by Nadia Riva