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First visit since May
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Thursday during his first official visit to Iran since taking office in May, with the Iranian presidency saying the leaders affirmed historical, cultural, religious and people-to-people ties as a foundation for their strategic relationship.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Iran-Iraq agreement was among the key issues discussed, adding, “The agreement has been implemented to an acceptable extent, but it requires greater attention,” while also saying some concerns remained in certain areas.
The New Arab reported that the trip came nine days after Zaidi met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, fueling speculation about whether the Iraqi premier could be carrying messages between the two countries amid heightened regional tensions.
An Iranian source cited by The New Arab said there was “no indication Zaidi had travelled to Tehran bearing an important message from the Trump administration,” and framed the visit as reflecting Iraq’s balancing act between Tehran and Washington rather than urgent shuttle diplomacy.
Analysts weigh the intent
The New Arab quoted Iranian analyst and former diplomat Ali Mousavi Khalkhali saying Iraq was attempting to maintain balanced relations with both Tehran and Washington rather than formally mediating, adding, “Iraqis trying to preserve its equilibrium between Iran and the United States.”
Mohsen Pak Aein, a former Iranian ambassador, also played down suggestions that Baghdad had emerged as a central diplomatic channel between Washington and Tehran, noting that the United States already had established avenues for communicating with Iran, including Qatar and other regional intermediaries.
In a separate account, Al Jazeera Net said an informed government source described “unannounced messages” carried by Zaidi’s Tehran trip, including a first message of “goodwill” that the last visit to Washington did not aim to harm Iran or come at the expense of its relationship with it.
Al Jazeera Net also reported that the second message, attributed to Washington by the same source, said the “American administration does not seek to topple the Iranian regime,” while linking tough statements by American officials to the ongoing war and political and media pressure.
Agreements and security stakes
Beyond the bilateral meetings, Anadolu Ajansı reported that Iraq and Iran signed four agreements and memoranda of understanding on Thursday in areas including transport, railways, local administration, and human resources training, with the signing ceremony co-chaired by Ali Falah al-Zaidi and Iranian President Masoud Bezhkian.
The documents described by Anadolu Ajansı included an international land freight and goods transport agreement and a memorandum of understanding to extend a railway line connecting Kermanshah, Khosravi, and Khanqin to Baghdad, alongside a sister-city memorandum between Baghdad's Amanat and Tehran Municipality.
In parallel, Al Jazeera Net said the visit’s goals included informing Tehran of the necessity to stop supporting militias tied to the principle of “unity of arenas,” paving the way to merge them into the security forces and hand over their weapons.
The same Al Jazeera Net report said the prime minister would also discuss maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and Iraq’s commitment not to allow the use of its territory or American forces present there to carry out attacks against Iran, with Tehran expected to raise the demand during talks.
