Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is scheduled to visit Iran later this week following a trip to the US where he met President Donald Trump, Iraqi state media reported. Zaidi will visit Tehran 'at the end of this week' and is expected to sign memorandums of understanding 'to strengthen bilateral ties', according to Iraq's national news agency INA. This will be his first trip to Iran since coming to power this year with Washington's blessing after Trump vetoed another candidate. Zaidi returned to Iraq on Sunday after his one-week trip to the United States, having struck 48 agreements and partnerships with American companies. A businessman, he has vowed to boost Iraq's fragile economy and disarm pro-Iran groups that have targeted US facilities. In recent days, attacks blamed on Iran have rocked Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, which hosts US troops and foreign oil companies, as well as exiled Iranian Kurdish rebels.
Washington and Tehran are Iraq's main allies, but their enmity has long turned the country into a proxy battleground and left successive governments struggling to maintain a delicate balance between the foes, who have traded intensifying attacks in recent days. Zaidi's visit to Iran aims to reinforce bilateral relations despite the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran. His recent agreements with American companies highlight his efforts to diversify Iraq's economic and political alliances.
