Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has begun a three-day visit to Iraq, his first trip abroad since taking office. The visit aims to strengthen ties between the two neighboring countries, which have grown closer since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Pezeshkian has prioritized relations with neighboring countries to ease Iran’s international isolation and mitigate the impact of US-led sanctions on its economy.
The visit comes amid turmoil in the Middle East, sparked by the war in Gaza, which has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups across the region. Iraq‘s relations with the US have been complicated by the conflict, and Pezeshkian’s visit follows fresh sanctions on Iran for supplying Russia with short-range missiles. Despite this, Pezeshkian has vowed to make relations with neighboring countries a priority, and his visit is seen as a key step in this effort.
Iran has become one of Iraq’s leading trade partners, with non-oil trade between the two countries standing at nearly $5 billion over the past five months. Pezeshkian’s visit is expected to focus on expanding trade ties, including Iran’s exports of gas to Iraq. However, the visit has also been overshadowed by security concerns, including an explosion at a US-led coalition base in Baghdad hours before Pezeshkian’s arrival.
Pezeshkian’s visit is also seen as an opportunity to discuss regional security issues, including the US troop drawdown in Iraq. The US-led coalition has announced plans to pull out of most of Iraq by September 2025, but the target dates have yet to be agreed between Baghdad and Washington. Pezeshkian will also travel to the Kurdish regional capital Arbil for talks with Kurdish officials, following a security agreement signed between Tehran and Baghdad last year.
