Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is scheduled to depart for Tehran on Thursday for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties with Iran, just days after concluding a high-profile trip to Washington, the Iraqi government announced Wednesday.

The prime minister will travel at the official invitation of the Iranian president, accompanied by a high-level ministerial delegation, government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said in a press briefing.

In Tehran, discussions will center on trade, transportation, agriculture, and the critical gas file. Iraq remains heavily reliant on Iranian gas imports to fuel its electricity grid, which has faced repeated disruptions amid ongoing regional tensions.

The visit comes only four days after Zaidi returned from a five-day official trip to the United States, where he held meetings with senior American officials, including President Donald Trump, and oversaw the signing of multiple bilateral agreements.

Baghdad has long sought to navigate a delicate diplomatic balance between Washington and Tehran, the two powers with the greatest influence in Iraq. The premier’s recent US visit drew sharp criticism from Iran, with an advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei describing it as “a blow dealt to the dignity of the faithful and proud Iraqi people” and “a great disgrace to every Muslim and every free-minded person.”

Aboudi emphasized that the upcoming talks would focus on practical cooperation and mutual understandings between the two neighbors.

Following the Iran trip, Zaidi is expected to make another official visit to Türkiye at the end of July. Water issues are expected to feature prominently in those discussions. Baghdad has repeatedly accused both Turkey and Iran of restricting water flows into Iraq. Turkey has constructed major dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, such as the Ilisu and Ataturk dams, while Iran has dammed and diverted several tributaries feeding into Iraqi territory.

Since taking office, Prime Minister Zaidi has prioritized efforts to disarm non-state armed groups and bring weapons under exclusive state control — an initiative strongly supported by Washington. Many of these groups maintain close ties to Iran. Aboudi stressed, however, that the disarmament process remains “an Iraqi matter” and “will not be discussed during any foreign visit.”

The back-to-back trips to Washington, Tehran, and Ankara underscore Iraq’s ongoing challenge of managing relations with influential regional and international players while advancing its own economic and security priorities. (ILKHA)