Iraqi PM Ali Zaidī pursues Turkish infrastructure funding and Iranian security talks

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zaidī met with Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdülkadir Oğul Oğlu in Baghdad to discuss financing and a clear timetable for the 1,200‑kilometre “Development Road” project, which will combine a railway and highway linking the Port of Faw to the Turkish border and onward to Europe. The plan, part of an April 2024 quadrilateral agreement among Iraq, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, aims to turn Iraq into a key conduit for Gulf‑to‑Europe freight. Turkey signalled willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding during Zaidī’s upcoming visit.

Following his U.S. trip, Zaidī travelled to Tehran for a two‑day official visit. The agenda centred on political and economic cooperation, notably the import of Iranian gas, while officials downplayed discussion of the weapons‑control file. Nevertheless, senior sources indicated that the issue of armed groups linked to Iran would feature prominently, alongside concerns over Iranian actions in Iraqi Kurdistan.