Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani have discussed efforts to strengthen bilateral relations, as well as recent developments in the Gaza war and the broader region.
On September 11, the first day of his visit to Baghdad, President Pezeshkian attended a ceremony where Iran and Iraq signed 14 memoranda of understanding, according to the official website of the Iranian president.
These agreements span various sectors, including the economy, agriculture, natural resources, trade, education, sports, cultural exchange, media, and tourism.
Pezeshkian and al-Sudani also reviewed a security agreement signed between their countries in 2023 and called for an end to “the Zionist regime’s crimes in the Gaza genocide.”
In March 2023, Iran and Iraq signed a security pact in which both nations committed to safeguarding their borders and increasing cooperation in security and intelligence.
At a joint press conference, Prime Minister al-Sudani described the signed agreements as a roadmap for enhancing Iran-Iraq relations. He also stressed that Iraq would not allow its territory to be used as a platform for threats or armed opposition against Iran.
Additionally, he thanked Iran for facilitating a gas deal between Iraq and Turkmenistan, signed in early July. Under the swap agreement, Turkmenistan will export 10 billion cubic meters of gas annually to Iraq via Iran. Iranian companies will also construct a 125-kilometer pipeline and three gas compressor stations in Turkmenistan to boost gas exports to Iran.
President Pezeshkian called for the formation of joint specialized committees to oversee the implementation of the agreements, emphasizing Iran’s support for “an Iraq that enjoys independence, sovereignty, and security.”
During his meeting with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Pezeshkian advocated for stronger bilateral and regional cooperation. He proposed the establishment of specialized committees to enhance political, economic, cultural, and social ties between the two countries.
The Iranian president highlighted their shared history and advocated for greater unity among Islamic nations, suggesting that Islamic states should move toward eliminating border controls between them, similar to the European Union.
In their discussions, President Rashid urged Iran to release more water from upstream rivers shared by both nations and to reach a mutual agreement on water sharing. Iraq has faced severe water issues in recent years, with drought conditions reaching unprecedented levels. Baghdad accuses Iran of exacerbating its water crisis by building upstream dams.
Ahead of Pezeshkian’s visit to Baghdad, media outlets reported the relocation of members of three Iranian Kurdish rebel groups to residential camps in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah Province, in accordance with the security agreement.
On September 10, Iraq’s National Security Advisor, Qasim al-Araji, announced that Iraqi authorities had closed around 80 headquarters of Iranian Kurdish opposition parties along the Kurdistan section of Iraq-Iran border. He also disclosed that these parties had handed over their heavy weapons to the Peshmerga forces.
Tehran accuses Kurdish groups of “terrorist” activities and collaborating with Israel near its borders – allegations denied by the Kurdish groups. The IRGC has repeatedly shelled locations within Iraqi Kurdistan, often resulting in casualties.
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