Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, began a visit to Iraq on Wednesday, aiming to deepen already close ties with the neighboring country on his first trip abroad since taking office.
The three day trip comes amid turmoil in the middle East sparked by the war in Gaza, which has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups around the region and complicated Iraq’s relations with the United States.
“Prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani welcomes the president of the islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian”, The Iraqi premier’s office said in a brief statement alongside a picture of the two men shaking hands on the tarmac at Baghdad airport.
Pezeshkian has vowed to make relations with Neighboring countries a priority as he seeks to ease Iran’s international isolation and mitigate the impact of US-led sanctions on its economy.
