Iran’s Pezeshkian seeks to cement ties in Iraq on his first trip abroad as president

Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iran’s reformist new president is in Iraq on his first trip abroad, hoping to cement Tehran’s ties to Baghdad as regional tensions increasingly pull both countries into the Mideast fray. For Iran, its relationship with Iraq remains crucial for economic, political and religious reasons. Baghdad meanwhile has been trying to balance its relationship with Tehran, which backs powerful Shiite militias in the country, as well as with the United States, which maintains a force of 2,500 troops in Iraq. Masoud Pezeshkian kicked off his trip on Wednesday.