Iran's Pezeshkian makes first trip abroad to Iraq

Newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to deepen relations with neighbouring Iraq during his first trip abroad, Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Wednesday.

Government representatives of both countries signed 14 cooperation agreements on the economy, culture and religion at the start of Pezeshkian's three-day visit, IRNA reported.

Pezeshkian described the visit as the "start of an era of increased cooperation."

He is to be the first president in the history of the Islamic republic to visit Iraq's partially autonomous Kurdish region in the north of the country.

The IRNA report indicated that one cooperation agreement had not been signed, but it was not clear which agreement was omitted.

While Tehran has constantly expanded its influence in Iraq over recent years, tensions remain, in particular over the presence of US forces in Iraq.

Iraq also maintains relations with the West, by contrast with the isolation imposed by the West on the leadership in Tehran. Iran's support for Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine has drawn further Western sanction.

Following the ousting of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Tehran has built up militias in Iraq and also in Syria and Lebanon with the aid of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), forming a network of allied groups in the struggle against Israel, its archenemy.

Tehran has repeatedly expressed concerns on security in connection with Kurdish separatists and opposition groups in Iraq. Iran is home to a substantial Kurdish minority.

Tehran sees Iraq as an important partner economically and as a "gateway to the Arab world," and despite sanctions, Iran remains an important supplier of gas and electricity.

According to reports, Iraqi Prime Minister Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani and his government have negotiated on Tehran's behalf with other Arab countries, including Egypt, which have cool relations with Tehran.