Iranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf begins Baghdad visit, set to meet Coordination Framework

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf began a two-day official visit to Iraq on Wednesday morning, 19 August, amid mounting US pressure on Iran-aligned Popular Mobilisation factions, regional tensions and strained relations between Iran and Arab neighbouring countries.

Upon arriving at Baghdad International Airport, Ghalibaf immediately headed to the site where former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani was assassinated.

Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike in 2020 shortly after arriving in Baghdad from Damascus, alongside Popular Mobilisation  Forces (PMF) leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

From there, Ghalibaf said, "Our visit comes to discuss cooperation between the countries of the region without foreign interference. The Islamic countries in the region need to expand areas of cooperation and establish deep and sustainable relations", he said. "Iran is making efforts in this regard."

During his visit to Iraq, he will meet several senior government officials, a statement added.

Ghalibaf to attend Coordination Framework meeting

According to a source in the Iraqi Foreign Ministry who spoke to The New Arab, Ghalibaf will attend a scheduled meeting of Iraq's ruling coalition, the Coordination Framework, on Wednesday in the presence of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

The source described the meeting as "closed", noting that the Iranian official wants to present Iran's position on the US presence in Iraq and the issue of placing weapons held by the state and factions under state control.

The deadline for resolving the issue expires on 30 September. 

Before heading to Baghdad, Ghalibaf said in an Arabic-language post on X that "the relationship between the Iranian and Iraqi peoples is a historic and inseparable one.

"Our neighbourhood was built based on brotherhood during the most difficult days, resistance to foreign interference, and belief in the shared destiny of both countries. This rich past, full of lessons, will be a beacon for the future," he wrote.

The Iranian parliament speaker added, "During this visit, we will take practical and major steps to consolidate self-reliant and shared security for both countries and achieve prosperity for both peoples."

"Our brothers are our strength," he concluded.

Visit programme

In this context, the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq, told Iranian news agency ISNA that Ghalibaf will meet during his visit with the speaker of parliament, the prime minister, the president, the president of the Supreme Judicial Council and the national security adviser in Iraq.

They will hold talks on bilateral, regional and international issues.

Al-e Sadeq added that the meetings would include an exchange of views on bilateral, regional and international issues, stressing that the visit is of "great importance" amid developments in the region.

He said consultations between the two countries could help strengthen regional stability and calm.

The Iranian ambassador stressed that the visit had been scheduled in advance and came in response to an official invitation from Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi.

Asked whether Ghalibaf's visit was linked to recent developments in relations between the two countries, and notably, the targeting of Iraqi Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Al-e Sadeq denied any connection, saying, "There is no connection, and this visit, as I mentioned earlier, had been scheduled in advance."

He noted that the Iranian parliament speaker will participate on Thursday, 20 August, in the Arbaeen ceremony marking the burial of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, to be held in Karbala.

The Kurdistan Region's Counter-Terrorism Service announced on Monday, 17 August, that Barzani's office in Erbil had been targeted by an Iranian drone, as well as the home of the head of the security and intelligence service.

However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei implicitly denied his country's involvement in the attack on Monday evening by condemning it.

He described it as a "highly suspicious development" and called for the incident to be handled "with vigilance and precision".

Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.