BAGHDAD, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iraq on Monday denied reports that President Barham Salih is mediating between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The Gulf media reports that "Iraqi President proposed to mediate" after "Iran offered to negotiate with Saudi Arabia" are "absolutely untrue," Salih's office said in a statement.
"We stress the need to take accurate information from reliable sources, which is in line with the professional charters of the media," the statement added.
Earlier in the day, a separate statement by Salih's office said the Iraqi president arrived in the capital Baghdad after visiting neighboring countries including Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Salih's regional tour starting on Nov. 11, the first of its kind since he took office on Oct. 2, also covered Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, and aimed at boosting Iraq's relations with Middle Eastern countries.
