On eve of Iran’s Pezeshkian visit, Iraq jostles for Shiite space amid rivalries
Ahead of a top-level visit by Iran’s new president, Iraq seems to be garnering greater attention as the go-to place for Shiites looking for an alternative to its eastern neighbor.
BAGHDAD — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will make his first trip abroad since taking office in July, as he heads to Baghdad on Sept. 11 amid Iraq’s rising influence within the international Shiite community.
The announcement of the upcoming visit by Pezeshkian, who will be accompanied by a high-level delegation and who is expected to sign memorandums of understanding on cooperation and security during the visit, was made on Sunday.
Representatives of Shiite armed groups and leaders from Yemen and Afghanistan have in recent months flocked to the Iraqi capital, while the US-led international coalition may be on its way out.
Meanwhile, the top government position customarily earmarked for Iraq’s Sunni Muslim population for the past two decades — that of parliament speaker — has been vacant since Mohamed al-Halbusi was removed from the position in November 2023.
