Allies Abdel-Fattah, Al-Kadhimi, Abdullah II Assemble to Address Area’s Affairs

The leaders of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan on Sunday held a historic meeting in Baghdad, looking to strengthen trilateral relations and shore up regional alliances in the face of growing Iranian aggression. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi became the first Egyptian head of state to travel to Iraq since the two severed ties in 1990 after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Jordan’s King Abdullah II soon joined el-Sisi as the two sat down with Iraqi President Barham Salih and later with Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. While no formal agreements were announced Sunday, the three allies discussed a host of issues, including economic and trade cooperation, industrial projects, conflicts in Syria and Yemen, the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute, terrorism, drug trafficking, energy, cybercrime and more. Baghdad is hoping to position itself as a central Middle East player, able to play both sides of the Shi’ite-Sunni conflict and cooperate with all regional actors. It recently hosted a series of talks between Iranian and Saudi officials.