Qalibaf seeks stronger Iran-Iraq ties

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf conducted a high-level diplomatic visit to Baghdad to strengthen strategic, security, and economic ties with Iraq. During the visit, Qalibaf met with key Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi and Iraq's President Nazar al-Amidi, emphasizing the unbreakable bonds between the two neighboring nations and their shared commitment to regional stability.

A primary focus of the discussions was the economic partnership. Speaker Halbousi requested special status for Iraqi oil exports passing through the Strait of Hormuz to protect Iraq's economic interests.

Qalibaf accused the United States of being the primary driver of regional crises, asserting that the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf is motivated by a desire to plunder resources. He argued that a recent 40-day war proved that foreign military presence creates instability rather than security.

Iraq’s President Nazar al‑Amidi echoed this, calling Iran and Iraq one nation and condemning U.S.-Israeli aggression as illegal. He urged ending the Iran‑U.S. limbo and adopting a regional-only collective security framework.

Qalibaf also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi in Baghdad. During the meeting, Zaidi underscored the deep bonds and connections between Iraq and Iran and called for increased joint efforts to strengthen bilateral ties that would serve the interests of the two neighboring countries.

Qalibaf, in turn, thanked the Iraqi government for its successful organization of the recent Arbaeen pilgrimage, during which millions of Iranians visited the holy shrines of Shia imams in the Arab country.

The visit also included symbolic gestures of unity, including a visit to the site where General Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in 2020.