Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, landed in Iraq on Wednesday, marking his first foreign visit since taking office. This trip signifies his commitment to deepening the already close ties between the two nations. Pezeshkian has publicly declared his intention to prioritize relations with neighboring countries, seeking to alleviate Iran’s international isolation and mitigate the impact of US-led sanctions on its struggling economy.
This visit comes at a pivotal moment, marked by escalating tensions in the Middle East. Western powers announced new sanctions against Iran for supplying Russia with short-range missiles to be used in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The region is also grappling with the turmoil caused by the conflict in Gaza, which has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups, further complicating Baghdad’s relationship with Washington.
The timing of Pezeshkian’s visit is particularly noteworthy as an explosion was heard at a US-led anti-jihadist coalition base at Baghdad’s international airport the previous night. A spokesperson for the Iranian-backed Ketaeb Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) in Iraq claimed the “attack” was designed to disrupt the Iranian president’s trip to Baghdad.
Despite these heightened tensions, Iran and Iraq, both predominantly Shiite nations, have cultivated closer ties since the US-led invasion in 2003 toppled Saddam Hussein’s Sunni-dominated regime. As Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani stated, “This trip will be an opportunity to promote and deepen the friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries in various fields.”
Pezeshkian has explicitly linked strengthening these ties to the pressure of sanctions imposed on Iran. He highlighted last month that “Relations with neighboring countries… can neutralize a significant amount of pressure of the sanctions.” Iran has faced crippling Western sanctions for years, particularly since the US, under former President Donald Trump, withdrew from the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers in 2018.
To symbolize his commitment to a more open Iran, Pezeshkian appointed Mohammad Javad Zarif, the lead negotiator of the 2015 nuclear deal, as his vice president for strategic affairs.
Iran has become a major trade partner for Iraq, wielding considerable political influence in Baghdad, where its allies dominate parliament and the current government. Millions of Iranian pilgrims annually visit Iraq’s sacred Shiite cities of Najaf and Karbala, and Pezeshkian is expected to visit these holy shrines during his trip.
Non-oil trade between Iran and Iraq reached nearly $5 billion in the first five months of 2024, according to Iranian media reports. Iran also exports vast quantities of natural gas to Iraq, supplying 30 percent of the country’s electricity needs. However, Iraq is significantly in arrears on payments for these imports.
In a significant step towards strengthening bilateral relations, the two nations commenced construction of their first rail link in September 2023. This 32-kilometer line connecting Iraq’s southern port city of Basra to the Shalamcheh border crossing will integrate with the Iranian rail network.
Despite the ongoing tensions in the region, Washington still maintains a significant military presence in Iraq and Syria, with around 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria. These forces are part of an international coalition combating the Islamic State jihadist group.
In recent months, US-led coalition forces in both Iraq and Syria have faced repeated attacks using drones and rockets. This escalation in violence coincides with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East. These attacks have triggered retaliatory US airstrikes in both countries.
Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbassi announced on Sunday that the US-led coalition would withdraw from most of Iraq by September 2025 and from the Kurdish autonomous region by September 2026. However, despite months of negotiations, these target dates have not yet been formally agreed upon by Baghdad and Washington.
Pezeshkian’s trip will also include a visit to Arbil, the capital of the Kurdish autonomous region, for discussions with Kurdish officials. This visit comes after a security agreement was signed between Tehran and Baghdad in March 2023. This agreement followed air strikes launched by Iran against Iranian Kurdish rebel groups based in the autonomous region. Both sides have since agreed to disarm these rebel groups and remove them from border areas. Tehran accuses these rebel groups of smuggling weapons from Iraq and inciting nationwide protests that erupted in 2022 following the death in custody of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, who was detained for an alleged violation of Iran’s strict dress code for women.
