ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zaidi has arrived in Iran’s capital on an official visit Thursday to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional issues and "efforts aimed at consolidating security and stability in the region.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zaidi has landed in Tehran on an official visit which entails meetings with officials to “discuss files of common interest, bilateral cooperation, and consultation on regional issues and efforts aimed at consolidating security and stability in the region,” he outlined in a statement on X on Thursday after announcing his departure from Baghdad airport.
“Iraq and Iran are bound together by historical and civilizational ties, geographical borders, and shared interests,” he said, emphasizing shared goals and grounds for continued cooperation on “enhancing sustainable development and prosperity for the peoples of both countries, and contributing to support for security and stability at the regional and international levels.”
Zaidi's visit to Tehran comes days after his return from a landmark week-long visit to the US, preceding his delegation's scheduled visit to Turkey.
The Prime Minister's visit takes place amid Baghdad’s dependence on Iranian gas to fuel its power plants and an ongoing blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, through which 90% of Baghdad's crude oil exports transit, as well as Washington’s push to reduce its reliance on Iranian exports in compliance with US sanctions.
Following the Iran war which began in late February, coupled with the September 30 deadline for the departure of the US-led security coalition and the several foreign military missions, Baghdad has sought to drive “the state's definitive transition toward a stage of security empowerment and comprehensive strategic development” by establishing international partnerships to become a gas-exporting country, as it straddles both US and Iran relations and regional interests.
The prime minister recently concluded his visit to Washington which resulted in the signing of 48 agreements and memoranda of understanding on energy deals in a series of meetings with US President Donald Trump and senior officials at various departments, aimed at restructuring and redefining its energy landscape in what Zaidi described as “a 'new Iraq' - a nation characterized by stability, growth, and sovereignty.”
