TEHRAN, Iran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian embarked on his first official foreign visit to Iraq on Wednesday, as reported by Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency.
This visit underscores the strong ties between the two neighboring nations, with Iran having deep-rooted political and military influence in Iraq since the 2003 US led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Since then, Tehran has steadily strengthened its sway, backing several political parties and armed groups within Iraq.
Pezeshkian, regarded as a relative moderate in Iranian politics, stated that the trip aims to solidify bilateral relations further. “We are planning to sign several agreements,” he said, ahead of meetings with senior Iraqi officials in Baghdad, according to Iran’s state media. The agreements likely span various sectors, including economic cooperation, security, and energy.
The visit is significant, given Iraq’s unique position as a close ally of both Tehran and Washington, often balancing its relations between the two adversarial nations.
