Iraq’s President Barham Salih walks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a welcome ceremony at Salam Palace in Baghdad, Iraq March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
On March 11, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Iraq on his first visit to the country in the six years since his election.
The three-day state visit started with a meeting host President Barham Salih, amid hopes of increasing the volume of trade between the two countries, despite US economic sanctions that were imposed on Tehran in August and November 2018.
Following brief negotiations, the two leaders held a joint press conference saying several framework agreements had been reached.
“Strengthening ties between Tehran and Baghdad works to the benefit of both countries, and we won’t let this positive path towards progress slow down to a halt,” Rouhani said at the conference. “We want to forge very close relations with Iraq. We do not seek to be allied against others, but rather seek to invite other regional states to our alliance as well.”
“We need to get past trivial details in mutual relations and think about the bigger and broader space for cooperation and ties because this would best serve the interests of both countries,” Salih added.
The reached deals are in the fields of oil, trade, health, and a railway linking the southern Iraqi oil city of Basra and the Iranian border town of Shalamcheh.
The sides also agreed on measures to make it easier for businessmen and investors to obtain visas. The Iranian state news agency IRNA said it was agreed that travel visas would now be free of charge.
Rouhani’s visit are also including meetings with Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi, as well as with a number of prominent lawmakers. He will also make stops at Shia holy sites and meet top Iraqi Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
These developments underline that Tehran plays a dominant role in Iraq despite U.S. efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic.
I find it ironic America and its idiot vassals went to war in Iraq and only strengthened Iran as it has just now. Russia and Iran put the nail in the coffin to US plans in the Middle East.
Because USA and Israel are genius. They made two enemiees Sadam Irak and iran friends and allies.
Historically, anything the Americunt morons touch turns into shit! People simply hate the idiots everywhere.
Yes but the recommend to invade Irak was made by Israel by USA.
By Israel to USA.
That’s because they are utterly clueless to how the region works. Anyone with a little knowledge of the region could have told them how the region works. The rich Arab Gulf states used Saddam Hussayn’s Sunni regime in Iraq as a bulwark against Shia Iran. Iraq however, like Bahrain, has a majority Shia population. The rich Arab Gulf states did not want to see that Iraqi Shia population gain power in Iraq, because they feared that Iraq would then ally itself with Shia Iran and that it would embolden the Shia populations in their own countries. The Americans went ahead with their brainless invasion anyway. Iraq was now no longer a bulwark against Iran and the Iraqi Shia gained control over the country. As a result the rich Arab Gulf states gave tacit support to the Sunni insurgency inside Iraq. Which had the opposite effect of driving the Iraqi Shia further into the embrace of Shia Iran, as that was now their only friend.
Maybe the real mystery was not so much the brainless American invasion, Americans are going to do what Americans are going to do, not being hindered by such pesky details as facts and history. No the real mystery is why the rich Arab Gulf states went along with this invasion and not used the power of their petro dollars to lobby some sense into the Americans. Because while they may not have liked Saddam, in no way whatsoever was a new Sunni strongman to take over after him part of ANY of the American plans. In all American plans for Iraq the rich Arab Gulf States were basically going to come out as losers. I can only theorize that these countries were not that lacking in strategic vision or being diplomatically inept. Maybe they correctly estimated that no matter what pressure they would bring to bear the Americans had already made up their minds regardless and were going to do what they were going to do. To try and stop it would only bring them ruin and loss of influence. Like what happened to France and Germany.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the fight against terrorism is not over yet despite the collapse of the Daesh terror group in Iraq and Syria as the United States is now relocating the Takfiri terrorists from the Middle East to Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Caucasus.
In a meeting with Iraqi religious and tribal leaders and elites in Baghdad, Rouhani said the hegemonic powers brought Daesh and other terrorists to the region in an attempt to sow discord among neighboring countries, nations, tribes and religions so they could justify their illegitimate presence in the region, portray a violent image of Islam and ultimately represent themselves as the “saviors.