Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visits Tehran for secret talks

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi conducted an unannounced visit to Tehran to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The discussions reportedly focused on Baghdad’s diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States from spilling into Iraqi territory.

During the meeting, Ghalibaf, who serves as Iran’s chief negotiator, outlined Tehran’s position and emphasized that any potential agreement must respect Iran’s rights. The Iraqi delegation included high-ranking officials such as Popular Mobilization Forces chairman Falih al-Fayyadh and Badr Organisation leader Hadi al-Amiri.

The visit follows a telephone conversation between al-Zaidi and US President Donald Trump, during which Trump reportedly warned Baghdad against allowing Iran-aligned armed groups to participate in a US-Iran conflict. While the Iraqi delegation sought to mediate, some sources indicated the visit failed to produce an outcome acceptable to Washington.