“The regional developments, especially those related to Syria, given their significance and sensitivity, will undoubtedly be among the topics included in the agenda for this visit,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a presser.
Sudani is set to visit Tehran on Wednesday to discuss regional developments and bilateral ties, his office said on Sunday. The visit will address regional developments and follow up on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Baghdad last September.
Baghaei highlighted that Sudani will meet with Pezeshkian, and the visit will seek to expand Baghdad and Tehran’s diplomatic relations.
“Syria should be able to decide its own fate and future without the destructive intervention of regional or international parties and not become a place for the growth of terrorism and violent extremism,” he added, despite Tehran previously holding strong influence over Assad’s regime.
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 the Shiite rule in Tehran.
During a visit to Iraq in September, Pezeshkian said that the Islamic republic has plans to further improve its ties with Baghdad.
Both Tehran and Baghdad were strong supporters of Assad’s regime, which was toppled by a coalition of Islamist-led rebel groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on December 8 following a blistering offensive.
Days before Assad’s collapse, the foreign ministers of Iraq, Syria, and Iran met in Baghdad to discuss the developments in Syria and reiterate support for the Syrian regime in an effort to prevent its collapse.
