AhlulbByt News Agency: Amid the US push to obstruct Iran-Iraq economic and political relations, officials of the two neighbors hold regular meetings in a bid to boost bilateral cooperation at all levels.
In this connection, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has visited Tehran amid escalating tensions in the region to follow up the past agreements and has held talks with senior Iranian officials. He was officially received by his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.
In his one-day visit, Hussein is also expected to meet Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and a number of other senior officials, including the head of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani.
Baghdad and Tehran are engaging in routine diplomatic talks, with Iraq’s FM visiting Iran to address bilateral relations and regional developments, an Iraqi source confirmed to Al Arabi Al-Jadeed. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ismail Bahgai, stated the discussions will focus on strengthening ties and analyzing international shifts.
Following a private meeting, Iraqi and Iranian FMs addressed reporters, outlining key points from their conversations.
Boosting bilateral ties
Bilateral ties have always been a major part of visits traded by officials of two countries, and this time was no exception.
In the press conference, Araghchi, pointing to the business ties of the two countries and the need to upgrade the current level, said: “At present, the bilateral trade relations are at good levels, but they have larger capacities to expand… we are working out a comprehensive strategic pact between the two countries and as I said they have a good capacity.”
Defying US pressure, Iran and Iraq are strongly expanding their economic relationship, with trade volume already exceeding $10 billion. Already set plans aim to triple that figure to $30 billion. Therefore, frequent visits between Iraqi and Iranian officials are actively bolstering these efforts.
It is noteworthy that Iran currently supplies a significant portion of Iraq’s electricity and natural gas needs, a vital lifeline for the country. Easing restrictions from the US could dramatically increase Iraqi imports of these crucial resources, further fueling energy sector growth.
For its part, Iraq represents a key non-oil export market for Iran. The planned Shalamcheh-Basra railway project, once completed, promises to streamline cargo transport, significantly reducing costs and transit times, which is a priority for both nations.
Curbing escalation of regional tensions
FM Hussein’s visit to Tehran comes as tensions between Iran and the American-Israeli camp are surging, causing worries to other regional states.
Pointing to the growing Iraqi role in the region, Araghchi said: Iran and Iraq explored regional issues, with Iraqi officials signaling a positive role in bridging divides between countries. Tehran expressed readiness to collaborate with Baghdad on peace-building initiatives and reaffirmed a shared commitment to regional security.
For his part, the top Iraqi diplomat said: “Before this trip, I discussed with foreign ministers of many regional countries the regional developments and they stressed that in such conditions, trade of views and consultation are key and so the security of regional nations is related to each other.
In the eyes of some political experts, Iraqi, which is walking a tight rope between Iran and the US, is seeking to prevent any escalation between the two sides. Due to its crucial role in the region and its sharing of borders with Iran, Iraq will be entangled in a potential Iran-Iraq confrontation. This is because it has Iran-allied resistance groups that can target, as they did in the past, the US interests in Iraq and the region, and at the same time because Iraq hosts US military forces.
So, Hussein tries to assure Iran that Iraq will never allow its airspace or territory be a launching pad for anti-Iranian attacks. This trip comes as American forces are evacuating Iraq’s Ein Al-Assad military and handing it over to Iraqi military.
Maintaining that “there is a mutual share of interests and security challenges between the two countries, Araghchi commented on the evacuation of the largest Iraq military base by the US and its handover to Iraq, saying: “This is a sign of boosted stability and political sovereignty in Iraq. We want a stable, independent Iraq with a powerful political sovereignty. Iraq holds all the capacities towards this position.”
Though the US forces evacuated Ain Al-Assad military base, this does not mean their full withdrawal from Iraq, and it means they were only relocated to bases in Kurdistan region in northern Iraq. Still, this can be seen as a positive step at present coming as an outcome of several years of resistance groups’ pressures and perhaps the US will end its presence in Iraq forever.
Following up security agreement
Recent years have seen security issues dominate the Iran-Iraq relationship, fueled by US threats and the presence of separatist groups operating within Iraqi Kurdistan. These groups have exploited unrest within Iran to destabilize the country and advance their agendas.
To address this, Iran and Iraq signed a security agreement three years ago, obligating Baghdad to expel separatist elements and secure the shared border. Progress on this agreement has been a recurring topic in high-level talks.
Following recent riots in Iranian cities and reports of terrorist elements infiltrating from Iraq, Hussein’s visit is being viewed as a crucial opportunity to bolster bilateral security cooperation and counter separatist threats.
Araghchi stated he briefed his Iraqi counterpart on recent developments and reaffirmed his appreciation for Iraq’s support and solidarity with Iran, noting that relations between the two nations remain positive.
Pushing to get Iran’s support
Having in mind that the Iraqi political forces have to pick their president in the coming days, Hussein’s Tehran visit is also related to Iraqi home politics, given Iran’s influence in neighboring country. Hussein is one of the main options for the president post expected to be named by Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and he holds a high chance to get the post.
Saying that he briefed his Iranian counterpart about post-election Iraqi situation, the top Iraqi diplomat said “we are seeking to form new Iraqi government as soon as possible.”
Iraqi president hopeful Hussein is actively seeking support from Tehran, recognizing Tehran’s key role in mediating Iraqi political disputes. With Shia factions aligned with the resistance groups holding a parliamentary majority, Hussein hopes to leverage Iranian backing to secure the Shiite Coordination Framework (SCF) green light for the post of president.
Over the past two decades, Iran has advocated the Kurdistan Democratic Party(KDP) led by Masoud Barzani and has so far this party’s candidates have taken the post of president in Baghdad. But Hussein wants to break this tradition and transfer the post to the PUK with the help of Tehran and resistance factions in the parliament.
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