Iran’s President Visits Iraq Amid Rising Middle East Tensions, Reports Reuters

By Elwely Elwelly and Timour Azhari

DUBAI/BAGHDAD – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made his first foreign trip to Iraq on Wednesday, highlighting the clerical establishment’s desire to enhance relations with a key ally amid rising regional tensions.

Pezeshkian, who is considered a moderate and took office in July, began a three-day visit by meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. The two nations are expected to sign several agreements and discuss the ongoing Gaza conflict, as well as broader Middle Eastern issues.

According to a statement from Pezeshkian’s office, discussions will focus on the expansion of bilateral ties and various international matters, such as the "ongoing crimes of the Zionist regime" against Palestinians and the urgent need to halt the violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Iraq has been hosting numerous Iran-aligned political factions and armed groups, and Tehran’s influence in the oil-rich country has grown since the U.S.-led invasion deposed Saddam Hussein in 2003.

As a rare ally to both the United States and Iran, Iraq is home to around 2,500 U.S. troops and has Iranian-backed armed factions integrated into its security forces. The country has experienced escalating violence and retaliatory attacks since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October.

The Iraqi prime minister’s media office announced that the two countries had signed 14 memoranda of understanding covering a range of areas, including trade, sports, agriculture, cultural cooperation, education, media, communications, and tourism.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi highlighted the diverse areas of cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad, which encompass political, regional, and security issues.

During his visit, Pezeshkian also paid tribute at a monument to Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in 2020, according to Iranian state media.

Relations with the U.S.

Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated in 2020 following Soleimani’s assassination and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq.

Sources indicate that an understanding has been reached between the U.S. and Iraq concerning the planned withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces.

Since the onset of hostilities in Gaza, Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq have frequently targeted U.S. troops in the region.

Additionally, it has been reported that Pezeshkian intends to visit Iraqi Kurdistan, a region where Iran has conducted strikes previously, citing concerns about its use as a base for Iranian dissident groups and agents linked to its rival, Israel.

The Iraqi government has sought to address Iranian concerns regarding regional separatist factions, moving to reassign some members under a 2023 security agreement with Tehran.