Iran’s speaker of parliament to arrive in Kurdistan Region

SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region—Iran’s speaker of parliament Ali Larijani is to arrive at Sulaimani today and meet with Jalal Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and other top party officials.

Rudaw has learned that Larijani would also meet with officials from the Sulaimani city administration.

Larijani’s visit to the Kurdistan Region comes following a tour of Syria and Iraq where he stressed Tehran’s support for Damascus and Baghdad in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).

The Iranian official is later expected to visit Erbil and meet with his Kurdish counterpart Yousif Muhammad and other Kurdish officials.

Meanwhile on Friday, Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad Hassan Danaifar said that Iraqi President Fuad Masum is scheduled to arrive in Tehran on an official visit, without providing further details.

Danaifar said that Iraq’s health and transportation ministers would also visit Tehran next week “for the purpose of further cooperation between both sides.”