Iraq will not allow its territory to be used to threaten Iran: Prime minister

Iraq‘s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Thursday Baghdad will never allow the use of Iraqi territory to threaten Iran, reaffirming his country’s commitment to security cooperation with Tehran.

Speaking at a joint meeting of senior Iranian and Iraqi delegations in Tehran, al-Zaidi said Iraq will not accept hostile action against Iran by any party.

“Iraq will never forget Iran’s support in the fight against the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group,” he said, as cited by a statement from Iran’s presidential office.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, for his part, said that a comprehensive strategic cooperation plan would serve as a roadmap for expanding relations between Tehran and Baghdad, stressing that the security of the two neighboring countries was closely linked.

Pezeshkian called for the rapid implementation of bilateral agreements and the expansion of economic, infrastructure, and security cooperation.

He said regional countries should facilitate the movement of people, trade and investment “based on their shared historical, cultural and religious ties.”

The Iranian president said Tehran had begun developing transport links with neighboring countries and hoped Iraq would join the network to establish an integrated transportation system that would promote transit, investment, joint markets and port development.

He stressed that insecurity in either country would directly affect the other, underscoring the strategic importance of security cooperation.

Pezeshkian also called for the full implementation of the Iran-Iraq security agreement, particularly the clearing of border areas of anti-Iran armed groups, while emphasizing that Tehran preferred to resolve the issue through cooperation and peaceful means.

During al-Zaidi’s official visit to Tehran, senior officials from the two countries signed four cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding in the presence of the two leaders.

The documents included an agreement on the road transport of goods, a memorandum on the construction of the Khosravi-Khanaqin-Baghdad railway, a sister-city agreement between Tehran and Baghdad, and a memorandum on public administration, training and human resources.

Al-Zaidi met Pezeshkian earlier Thursday during his first official visit to Iran since taking office in May.

The Iraqi premier’s media office said the two leaders held a bilateral meeting, without providing further details.