Iran's President to visit Iraq for first official trip, eyes key economic deals

Shafaq News/ Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to visit Iraq on Wednesday for his first international trip since taking office, with a focus on strengthening economic ties between the two neighboring countries.

Pezeshkian will arrive in Baghdad on Wednesday morning, heading directly to the site where former Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in a US drone strike in January 2020. This visit became almost a tradition during a high-level Iranian visit to Iraq.

Later in the day, Pezeshkian will be officially received at the Government Palace by Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid. During his visit to the capital, the Iranian leader is scheduled to meet with Acting Speaker of Parliament Mohsen al-Mandalawi, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Chief Justice Faiq Zidan.

According to the itinerary, Pezeshkian will also visit the Iranian Embassy to meet with Iranian business leaders and the expatriate community in Iraq.

On Wednesday evening, he will attend a dinner hosted by the State Administration Coalition, a political bloc comprising most of Iraq’s major parliamentary factions.

On Thursday, Pezeshkian will travel to the religious cities of Najaf and Karbala, followed by visits to Basra in southern Iraq and Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

Sources told Shafaq News that the visit is expected to result in the signing of 10-15 agreements, largely focused on economic, educational, and cultural cooperation. While the possibility of a security agreement is being discussed, it has not been confirmed.

Pezeshkian will be accompanied by high-ranking officials, including the Iranian ministers of foreign affairs, defense, and trade.