Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited Tehran and met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The Iranian agency „Tasnim“ reported on the visit, citing informed sources.
According to the report, al-Zaidi arrived in Iran after talks with US President Donald Trump and his special envoy for West Asia, Tom Barrack. The Iraqi prime minister brought proposals to Tehran related to ending the conflict in the region.
The sources cited by „Tasnim“ claimed that the visit did not produce an outcome satisfactory to the American side. No specific details have been made public about either the proposals or the response of the Iranian leadership.
Delegation includes leaders of Shiite factions
Al-Zaidi was accompanied by the head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, Faleh al-Fayyad, and the leader of the „Badr“ Organization, Hadi al-Amiri. Their presence at the talks gave the visit a clear political and military dimension, as both figures are among the influential representatives of Iraq’s Shiite political camp.
The news of the visit was reported by the Iraqi media outlet 964, which also cited „Tasnim“. According to the report, earlier accounts had emerged that Trump supported al-Zaidi’s proposals and encouraged him to present them in Tehran as part of mediation efforts.
Baghdad seeks to maintain ties with Washington and Tehran
The visit is part of the new Iraqi government’s efforts to preserve its relations with both the United States and Iran. In July, al-Zaidi had already visited Tehran, where he held talks with Pezeshkian and Ghalibaf. At the time, the officially announced focus was on bilateral relations, energy and regional security.
Even as prime minister-designate awaiting his appointment, al-Zaidi said that Baghdad could play a „mediating role“ between Iran and the United States. He was later received at the White House by Trump, who described the relationship between the two as having „great chemistry“.
Sources: 964media.com, aljazeera.com, apnews.com