Al-Zaidi to pursue gas, de-escalation during Tehran visit

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi will seek to ease tensions between Iran and the United States, secure continued Iranian gas supplies, and strengthen bilateral ties during a two-day visit to Tehran beginning July 23, a government source told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

Al-Zaidi’s meetings with Iranian leaders will focus on efforts to narrow the divide between Tehran and Washington while advancing initiatives intended to benefit countries across the region.

Energy security will feature prominently in the talks, according to the source, with the prime minister expected to stress the need for uninterrupted Iranian natural gas supplies as US-based General Electric proceeds with Iraq’s nationwide electricity development plan. Officials will also discuss a sovereign guarantee proposed by Baghdad to ensure signed projects and contracts remain valid regardless of future changes in government, a step intended to reassure investors in the energy and services sectors.

The visit, the source noted, is scheduled during “a temporary lull” in hostilities between the US and Iran, allowing the delegation to travel to and from Tehran.

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday that preparations were in their final stages, including several memorandums of understanding covering bilateral cooperation. The trip follows Al-Zaidi’s first official visit to Washington, where Iraq and the United States launched a broad investment partnership, and comes at the invitation of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who extended it during his recent visit to Iraq.

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