Iran President Visits Iraq On First Foreign Trip

Baghdad, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Sep, 2024) Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, began a visit to Iraq on Wednesday, aiming to deepen already close ties with the neighbouring country on his first trip abroad since taking office.

The three-day trip comes amid turmoil in the middle East sparked by the war in Gaza.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said both governments opposed any expansion of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

"In light of the escalation that the region has been going through, we have spoken a lot about the importance of stability," Sudani said, blaming Israel for the regional spillover of the war.

Pezeshkian has vowed to make relations with neighbouring countries a priority.

"It was a very good opportunity to visit the friend and brother country of Iraq in my first foreign trip as the president of Iran," he said on Wednesday.

"We need to implement security cooperation agreements between the two countries in order to deal with terrorists and enemies," he added.