An official Iranian delegation arrived in Baghdad Wednesday to mediate between Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and the United States, a Shi’ite political source said. The source said the delegation, led by senior diplomats, met Iraqi officials and was expected to travel soon to the holy city of Najaf, where U.S. forces are preparing for a possible offensive to capture or kill Sadr. Iran said the United States had sought its help in tackling the violence in Iraq. Sadr’s political foes say Iran helps finance the anti-U.S. cleric.
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said the U.S. calls came through the Swiss embassy, which has covered U.S. interests in Tehran since Washington broke ties shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran’s most senior Shi’ite leaders have been keen to distance themselves from the uprising of Sadr supporters, although Sadr has support among Iraqi clerics living in Iran, such as Kathem al-Haeri. An envoy appointed by Sadr said the rebel cleric had proposed peace terms to avoid fighting between his militia and U.S. forces. Sadr’s Mehdi Army militia launched an uprising against the U.S.-led occupation in Shi’ite areas of Iraq last week. The U.S. military has vowed to kill or capture Sadr, the scion of a revered religious dynasty, and has brought 2,500 troops to the outskirts of Najaf, where Sadr is based.
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