ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with Iranian Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi in Baghdad on Monday, discussing bilateral ties and enhancing border security.
Vahidi came to the Iraqi capital to participate in the second Baghdad International Conference on Combating Drugs.
“The meeting included discussions on enhancing security cooperation in controlling the shared borders, implementing and developing the security agreement, and ensuring that neither Iraqi nor Iranian territories are used as a launchpad for attacks on neighboring countries or exploited by outlaw groups,” read a statement from Sudani’s office.
Earlier on Monday, Vahidi met with his Iraqi counterpart Abdul-Amir al-Shammari.
Iranian state media IRNA reported that Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq, Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, Majid Mirahmadi, deputy minister for security and law enforcement, and General Iraj Kakavand, the head of the anti-narcotics police of Iran, were also present at the meeting with the Iraqi premier.
Iran and Iraq have shared a strong relationship since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Tehran has since increased its influence over Baghdad, and the country has dozens of armed groups who are affiliated with Iran’s Shiite rulers in Tehran.
A security pact signed between Iran and Iraq in March 2023 saw Baghdad agree to disarm Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups and secure the border regions. Iran had threatened to use military action, if Baghdad failed to fulfill the agreement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in October that Iraq has not yet fully implemented all the provisions of the security pact but stressed that both Erbil and Baghdad remain committed to implementing the agreement.
