Iraqi Prime Minister makes first official visit to Iran for talks on security and cooperation
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is in Tehran for his first official visit since taking office in May, with talks focused on bilateral cooperation, shared interests and regional security. The two-day trip brings him together with senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, as both sides seek to deepen ties. The visit also includes the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding covering foreign affairs, finance, the economy and energy.
Sponsored
According to the Iraqi News Agency, al-Zaidi and Pezeshkian oversaw the signing of the agreements in Tehran on Thursday. Al-Zaidi said Iraq would not accept hostile action against Iran by any party and thanked Iran for its support in Iraq's fight against the ISIL group. He also said Iraq would continue security cooperation with Tehran, while Pezeshkian said a comprehensive strategic cooperation plan would serve as a roadmap for expanding relations between the two neighbours.
The visit comes at a time when Iraq remains heavily reliant on Iranian natural gas and electricity, and when bilateral trade is reported to exceed $12bn a year. That economic dependence gives the talks practical weight beyond diplomacy alone. The two countries also share a long border and deep religious links, with millions of Iranian Shia pilgrims travelling to Iraq's holy sites each year.
Security remains central to the relationship because both governments view stability across the border as closely connected. Al-Zaidi said the discussions would cover regional developments and ongoing efforts to consolidate security and stability across the region. Pezeshkian's office said the two sides see their security as linked, underlining why cooperation on border issues and wider regional tensions remains a priority.
Sponsored
The visit is also significant because it is al-Zaidi's first official trip to Iran since becoming prime minister, making it a marker of the direction of his government's foreign policy. The agreements on energy, finance and the economy suggest both sides want to formalise areas of cooperation that already shape daily life in Iraq. The strategic cooperation plan mentioned by Pezeshkian points to an effort to give the relationship a longer-term framework.
What remains unclear is how quickly the new agreements will translate into concrete policy changes or whether they will alter the balance of Iraq's wider regional relationships. It is also not yet clear what specific measures, if any, will follow on security coordination or energy supply. The rest of the visit is expected to include further meetings with senior Iranian officials, with attention likely to stay on regional security and implementation of the signed deals.
Sponsored
