ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Wednesday received Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, currently leading Tehran's negotiating team in talks with the US, in Baghdad to discuss bilateral ties, his office reported. The visit comes as Iraq continues to feel the impact of the ongoing escalation between Iran and the United States in the region and the stalemate plaguing negotiations between the two sides.
"The two sides discussed prospects for cooperation and joint action, as well as ways to strengthen and further develop bilateral relations across various fields, in a manner that serves the mutual interests of the two neighboring countries and peoples," Zaidi’s office said in a statement shared on Facebook.
The Iraqi premier was further quoted as affirming "the depth of relations between Iraq and Iran and the historical, geographical, and religious ties and commonalities shared by the two countries," commending Tehran's support for Baghdad, particularly during Iraq's war on the Islamic State (ISIS).
For his part, Ghalibaf “commended the Iraqi government's efforts in receiving and serving Iranian pilgrims during the [recent] Arbaeen pilgrimage [in early August]," the statement said.
He also emphasized Iran's "keenness to continue developing bilateral relations and expanding prospects for cooperation in a manner that serves the mutual interests of the Iraqi and Iranian peoples."
Ghalibaf had arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday morning to “meet with senior Iraqi officials and high-ranking figures,”
to “discuss regional developments, strengthen strategic cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad, and explore joint mechanisms to help establish stability and security in West Asia,” the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
The Iranian parliament speaker’s visit will also see discussions on “enhancing bilateral relations, border security, counterterrorism, expanding economic cooperation, and the implementation of existing joint agreements.”
In a statement he posted on X upon his arrival, Ghalibaf said "the relationship between the Iranian and Iraqi peoples is a historical bond that cannot be severed," adding that "brotherhood was forged through the harshest of times, in resistance to foreign interference, and in the belief in a shared destiny for both nations."
"This past, rich in lessons, shall be the guiding light for the future," he said.
The Iranian chief negotiator's visit to Iraq comes shortly after US President Donald Trump pointed to further stalemate in the talks with Tehran.
"There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump said in a Tuesday post on his Truth Social platform, adding that the naval blockade "remains in full force and effect."
In an indirect response to the US commander-in-chief, Ghalibaf wrote on X, "Americans think squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of the agreement."
The stalemate comes months after the US and Israel launched a joint aerial campaign striking thousands of targets across Iran in late February. In response, Tehran carried out thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - while also launching retaliatory strikes against Israel.
The warring sides reached a preliminary ceasefire mediated by Pakistan in early April, followed by the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two sides in mid-June, establishing a ceasefire on all fronts.
Following the truce, however, the two sides engaged in several rounds of strikes and counterstrikes - the latest of which escalated on July 8 and ended later that same month. Washington also reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian ports in July.
Importantly, Trump and Ghalibaf’s remarks on Tuesday came a day after the 60-day negotiating deadline set by the Islamabad MoU expired on Monday.
For its part, Iraq has been deeply affected by the ongoing war, specifically the disruptions to shipping across the strategic Strait of Hormuz it caused. According to official statements, nearly 90 percent of Iraq's oil exports passed through Hormuz before the war, but that volume dropped to less than 10 percent of pre-war levels following wartime shipping restrictions and security disruptions.
Ghalibaf's visit to Baghdad also comes after Zaidi, in late July, made an official visit to Tehran, where he met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior officials, overseeing the signing of at least four agreements and memoranda of understanding aimed at "enhancing bilateral cooperation and partnership."
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