ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to arrive in Baghdad on Sunday as Iraq pushes to rein in the weapons of Iranian-aligned armed groups amid ongoing Washington-Tehran peace talks.
Araghchi will meet with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, and the two are expected to hold a joint press conference afterward, an informed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Rudaw's Ziyad Ismail on Saturday.
"The meetings will focus more on developing bilateral relations between Baghdad and Tehran, the security and border file, as well as the latest political and security developments in the region," the source said.
Iranian state media confirmed Araghchi’s visit to Baghdad.
The Iranian foreign minister is also expected to meet separately with Iraq's prime minister, president, and other political leaders during his visit.
The trip comes as the United States and Iran negotiate a permanent ceasefire, following a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both sides earlier this month. The conflict had escalated sharply after the US and Israel launched a major military campaign against Iran on February 28, drawing in the wider region — particularly Iraq, where Iran-aligned factions carried out a string of attacks on alleged US interests, including in the Kurdistan Region.
Fighting came to a halt in April after a Pakistani-mediated ceasefire took hold.
Since then, Iraq's new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, has moved to disarm armed groups operating outside state control, including those backed by Iran. Tehran has said it respects Zaidi's decision, though some Iran-aligned factions have so far refused to give up their weapons.
