Peregraf
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met on Monday with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, the Prime Minister’s media office said.
Al-Sudani reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to strengthening relations with Iran and expanding cooperation “across various levels and fields” to serve the interests of both nations. He also reiterated Iraq’s “principled stance” in rejecting what he called “Zionist aggression against Iran” and voiced opposition to any actions that escalate regional or international conflicts. The premier expressed Baghdad’s support for dialogue between Tehran and Washington.
During the meeting, al-Sudani oversaw the signing of a joint security memorandum of understanding between Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji and Larijani. The agreement focuses on security coordination along the countries’ shared borders.
Larijani conveyed greetings from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and stressed Tehran’s desire to deepen cooperation, particularly in transportation projects, including a railway link for passenger travel between the two countries that would connect to Iraq’s Development Road and other emerging regional trade corridors.
Larijani’s visit is part of a regional tour that will also take him to Lebanon.
"Iraq is our friend and neighbor, and we enjoy close trade relations,” Larijani said before departing Tehran, adding that bilateral cooperation “is at a very good level.”
Upon arrival, Larijani was received by Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji. He said the visit would include meetings with “many friends in Iraq from various authorities and movements” and that a new agreement would be signed during the trip.
The visit comes after the two countries signed a security pact in March 2023, under which Baghdad pledged to disarm Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region and relocate them to designated camps. The agreement was reached with the participation of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Interior Minister and has since been implemented.
Tehran accuses groups such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), Komala, the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), and the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) of fomenting unrest during Iran’s 2022 protests. These groups, long engaged in sporadic conflict with the Islamic Republic, seek greater rights for Iran’s Kurdish minority.
Iraq and Iran share more than 1,400 kilometers of border, making security coordination a sensitive and strategic issue for both governments. Tehran has repeatedly expressed concerns over armed Iranian Kurdish factions operating from Iraqi territory, threatening military action if Baghdad fails to curb their activities. The 2023 pact was part of a broader effort to prevent cross-border attacks and stabilize restive border areas. Larijani’s visit also comes amid heightened regional tensions, with both countries navigating complex relations involving the United States, Gulf Arab states, and regional transport and trade initiatives such as Iraq’s Development Road project.