Iraqi foreign minister Mohammed al-Hakim said on Sunday that he would take on the tough challenge of mediating between the U.S. and Iran. He made the offer at a joint news conference in Baghdad with Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who did comment or agree to accept the help. “The sanctions against sisterly Iran are ineffective and we stand by its side,” al-Hakim said. “We are trying to help and to be mediators.” Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have escalated in recent weeks after the Trump administration beefed up its military presence in the Persian Gulf in response to a yet-unidentified threat from Iran.