Iraq’s Al-Sudani to visit Iran

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia’ Al-Sudani is set to arrive in Tehran on Tuesday on an official visit, according to an Iranian official.

Al-Sudani’s visit to the neighboring country comes as he had conducted his first and second official visits to Kuwait and Jordan after his inauguration as a premier.

Aimed at strengthening the bilateral ties between Tehran and Baghdad, the premier leads a “political and economic delegation” to the Islamic republic, Mohammad Jamshidi, an assistant for political affairs at the Iranian presidency, told local media.

Planned to be received by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the leaders are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on expanding the diplomatic relations, according to the assistant.

Al-Sudani on Saturday received the Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Mohammad-Kazem Ale-Sadegh in Baghdad, where they discussed the “security file” and preserving the sovereignty of the countries.

Iran has targeted the alleged positions of the exiled Kurdish opposition groups in Tehran three times in less than two months. Kurdish and Iraqi officials have condemned the missile and drone strikes that had killed over a dozen.

In his visit to Kuwait, Al-Sudani told the Gulf state’s leaders that Baghdad seeks “balanced relations” with its neighbors based on mutual respect and preservation of sovereignty.