- Pezeshkian’s first state visit to Iraq aims to boost ties amid Western sanctions.
- Agreements on trade and agriculture are planned.
- An explosion targeting a US facility in Baghdad was linked to Hezbollah.
- Iran faces new sanctions over alleged missile supplies to Russia
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived in Iraq for his first state visit abroad, aimed at strengthening relations amid escalating Western sanctions.
Pezeshkian, a relative moderate who took office in July, began his three-day visit by meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani on Wednesday. During the visit, Pezeshkian and his delegation are expected to sign several agreements and discuss the Gaza conflict and broader Middle Eastern issues with their Iraqi counterparts, according to statements from Baghdad.
The Iranian president visited a monument dedicated to Qassem Soleimani, the former head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, who was killed in a 2020 U.S. attack in Baghdad.
A key focus of Pezeshkian’s agenda will be Israel’s conflict with Gaza, which has involved Iran-backed armed groups and strained Iraq’s relations with the U.S. Expanding trade relations is also a top priority for Pezeshkian, with Iraqi political scientist Ali al-Baidar highlighting Iran’s need for the Iraqi market for its exports and Iraq’s energy imports.
Additionally, Pezeshkian is set to visit the Kurdish regional capital of Erbil for discussions with Kurdish officials, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
In March of last year, Tehran signed a security agreement with the federal government in Baghdad following air raids on bases of Iranian Kurdish rebel groups in the autonomous region. Since then, both sides have agreed to disarm the rebels and remove them from border areas.
During Pezeshkian’s visit, Iran and Iraq are expected to sign numerous agreements covering trade, agriculture, and communications, according to the Iraqi Prime Minister’s office. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that around 15 new memorandums will be signed, including those related to security and politics.
These agreements are part of a broader effort to strengthen Iran’s relations with neighboring countries in response to the impact of US-led sanctions on its economy.
Iran is a major trade partner for Iraq, with non-oil trade between the two countries exceeding $5 billion over the past five months, according to Iranian media. Additionally, Iran exports millions of cubic meters of gas daily to Iraq to fuel its power plants, benefiting from a regularly renewed waiver from US sanctions.
In addition to its economic connections, Iran exerts significant political influence in Baghdad, where its Iraqi allies hold dominant positions in parliament and the current government.
However, Iraq also maintains strong ties with the US, which still has approximately 2,500 troops in the country as part of an international coalition against ISIL (ISIS).
Hours before Pezeshkian’s arrival, an explosion occurred at a base in an airport used by the US-led coalition, according to Iraqi security officials. The US embassy in Iraq confirmed that a diplomatic facility at the airport had been targeted.
“There was an attack at the Baghdad Diplomatic Services Compound, a US diplomatic facility,” the embassy stated. “Fortunately, there are no reported casualties, and we are assessing the damage and its cause.”
A spokesperson for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Iraq stated that Tuesday night’s “attack” was intended to “disrupt the Iranian president’s visit.”
Pezeshkian’s trip coincides with new sanctions imposed on Iran by the US and several European countries, which accuse Iran of supplying Russia with short-range missiles for use against Ukraine.
Iran has endured years of severe Western sanctions, particularly following the US’s unilateral withdrawal from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal in 2018.
In an effort to promote a more open Iran, Pezeshkian has appointed Mohammad Javad Zarif, the top diplomat who negotiated the 2015 agreement, as his vice president for strategic affairs.
