On April 1, it was announced that Iraqi VP in exile, Hashimi, had travelled to Qatar on an official visit. The move was criticized heavily by the Iraqi government, who likely views the Qatari action as blatant interference in Iraq’s domestic affairs by bolstering the Sunni opposition there at the expense of the Shiite government in Baghdad.
We assess the diplomatic row highlights continued tensions between Iraq and its neighbors, despite Iraq’s attempts to rebuild ties with Sunni states. Moreover, given the many Shiite-Sunni conflicts throughout the Middle East and Qatar’s increased involvement as a regional power-broker, a widening rift between Qatar and Iraq may continue in the near future.
