Politics Iran's new president on first trip abroad to Iraq

Iran's new President Massud Peseschkian is deepening relations with neighboring Iraq with his first trip abroad. Government representatives from both countries planned to sign 15 cooperation agreements in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

This was reported by the Iranian state agency Irna. During the three-day trip, Peseshkian will also become the first president in the history of the Islamic Republic to travel to the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north of Iraq.

Tehran has steadily expanded its influence on its neighboring country in recent years. However, relations between the countries have also been characterized by tensions. In particular, the US troop presence and Iraq's relations with the West stand in contrast to the policy of the Iranian leadership, which is internationally isolated. Iran is subject to sanctions due to its support for Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and its controversial nuclear program, among other things.

After the overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Tehran used its powerful Revolutionary Guards to expand militias in the neighboring country, as well as in Syria and Lebanon. In doing so, the state leadership aimed to create a network of allied groups in the fight against arch-enemy Israel. At the same time, Tehran often expressed security concerns in connection with Kurdish separatists and opposition groups in Iraq.

However, the Iranian government also sees Iraq as an important economic partner and the neighboring country as a "gateway to the Arab world". Despite the extensive sanctions, Iran is an important supplier of gas and electricity. According to reports, the government in Baghdad under Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani also mediated between Iran and other Arab countries such as Egypt, whose relations had long been on ice.

SDA