Saddam Hussein's Visit to Imam Reza Shrine: A Diplomatic Gesture Amidst Regional Tensions

Moreover, Saddam's visit to Iran in 1974 was part of a broader effort to consolidate power domestically by projecting statesmanship and building an image of a pan-Arab leader willing to embrace Shia Islam's crucial elements. This image was critical for Saddam in portraying himself as a unifying figure, capable of transcending Iraq's sectarian divides, at least superficially, during a time when Arab identity faced challenges from within due to sectarianism and from without due to Persian-Arab animosities.