Iran parliament speaker Ghalibaf visits Iraq for cooperation talks

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Iraq on Wednesday for a two-day visit aimed at discussing regional developments and strengthening strategic cooperation between the two nations. Ghalibaf is leading a high-level parliamentary delegation.

The visit takes place amid significant pressure on Iraq from the United States to disarm powerful armed factions within the country that are supported by Iran. Baghdad has reportedly given these pro-Iran groups until September 30 to disarm.

This trip follows a recent drone attack on the office of the prime minister of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, an incident that Kurdish authorities initially attributed to Tehran. Iran has denied any involvement, characterizing the attack as a maneuver to undermine bilateral relations.

According to Iran's ISNA news agency, Tehran's ambassador to Baghdad, Mohammad Kazem al-Sadeq, confirmed that Ghalibaf's visit was pre-planned. Discussions are expected to cover bilateral relations, border security, economic cooperation, and the implementation of existing joint agreements, with the goal of contributing to stability and security in the Middle East.