TEHRAN: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to embark on his first official foreign visit to Iraq on Wednesday, state media reported on Sunday, marking a significant diplomatic move since he assumed office in July.
During the visit, Pezeshkian will lead a high-ranking delegation to Baghdad, where he is scheduled to meet with top Iraqi officials.
The visit comes at the invitation of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, according to an announcement by Iran’s official news agency, IRNA. Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadegh, said that during the visit, both countries are expected to sign memoranda of understanding focusing on cooperation and security.
This visit is noteworthy as it was initially planned to coincide with a visit by Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in May. Raisi, along with then-Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, died in the crash in northern Iran.
Since taking office, Pezeshkian has emphasized a commitment to strengthening Iran’s relationships with its neighboring countries.
Iran and Iraq have enjoyed a deepening relationship over the past two decades. Iran is one of Iraq’s principal trade partners and holds significant political sway in Baghdad, where its allies have significant influence in the parliament and the current government.
In March 2023, the two countries signed a security agreement to enhance cooperation along their shared border. This agreement followed Iran’s military actions in Iraq’s northern Kurdish regions, aimed at targeting Kurdish opposition groups that Tehran accuses of smuggling arms and inciting unrest within Iran.
Furthermore, the bilateral relationship has seen progress in efforts to disarm Iranian Kurdish rebel groups and address security concerns along the border. In January, Iran launched a significant strike in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq against a base used by “spies of the Zionist regime (Mossad).”
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