Iraq premier in Iran on key visit amid escalation of Israeli war on Gaza
On Monday, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani arrived in Tehran on an official visit to meet top Iranian officials amid an escalation of the Israeli regime’s war on the Gaza Strip.
At the head of a high-ranking delegation, Sudani arrived in Tehran and was officially welcomed by Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi at Sa’adabad cultural and historical complex.
During the ceremony, the national anthems of the two countries were played and the senior Iranian and Iraqi officials reviewed a guard of honor.
The visiting Iraqi prime minister is set to meet with the Iranian president and attend a joint press conference.
Prior to his travel to Tehran, Sudani met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Baghdad during his unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital.
Talking to reporters after their meeting, Blinken, who was in a bulletproof vest, said his country is “not looking for conflict with Iran” but pledged to fully protect the American nationals, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
Israel waged a brutal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity. The regime’s relentless bombardment of Gaza has killed at least 9,770 Palestinians, including 4,800 children and 2,550 women.
Israel has also cut off fuel, electricity, food and water to more than two million Palestinians living in Gaza.
Since the beginning of the war, US military bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria have repeatedly come under drone and missile attacks.
According to figures released by the Pentagon on Friday, 17 attacks in Iraq and 12 in Syria occurred between October 17 and November 3.
Sudani decried the attacks and said that investigations were underway to determine the perpetrators.