On Feb. 25, during meetings between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Iraqi counterpart, Hoshyar Zebari, the two sides announced that they have agreed to finally implement the 1975 Algiers Agreement to regulate their land and river borders and, most importantly, to dredge the Shatt-al-Arab river, an important waterway for both countries. Experts from both sides are finalizing the details of the agreement, which will be signed within weeks in Tehran. The accord is yet another important step in consolidating a relationship that is becoming the most significant axis in the entire West Asian region. 

Zarif, who has traveled to Baghdad twice in the past six months, said, “Iran and Iraq have historic and solid ties that are based on religious, political, geographical and cultural commonalities, and we are very happy that we have put behind us a short but bitter episode of our history. Today, the friendly and brotherly people of Iraq and Iran have two governments that also wish to have friendly and brotherly relations.”

Zebari also commented, “Through calm and continuous work in the past two years among expert committees of the two sides, we have reached good agreements on our land and river borders and on the waterways between the two countries.”

Disagreement over the border along the Shatt-al-Arab river was one of the initial pretexts that deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein used to declare war on Iran in 1980. The consequent eight-year war devastated both countries. However, since the overthrow of Hussein in 2003 and the emergence of a new political regime in Iraq, the two neighbors have developed unique relations.