PM Al-Zaidi heads to Tehran with US-Iran dialogue proposal

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidiintends to make an official visit to the Iranian capital, Tehran, at the end ofthis week, informed sources told Shafaq News on Sunday.

Al-Zaidi will carry an Iraqiinitiative aimed at contributing to an end to the current militaryconfrontation between Iran and the United States and at opening channels fordialogue between the two sides.

Read more: Iraq stands to gain most from US-Iran deal

The visit follows an invitationextended by the Iranian president during his recent trip to Iraq to attendceremonies commemorating the assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

According to the sources, central tothe proposal is an offer for Baghdad to host a meeting of Iranian and Americanofficials in the coming period “to narrow differences and prepare the groundfor direct or indirect talks.”

The proposal was first raised duringal-Zaidi's meeting last week in Washington with United States President DonaldTrump, the sources said, and the American side responded favorably to the ideaas a step that could help contain the crisis.

Iraq has previously pursued amediating role between Washington and Tehran. Former Prime Minister MohammedShia al-Sudani said during his tenure in 2025 that Baghdad was working toarrange direct US-Iranian talks on Iraqi soil, citing Iraq's balanced relationswith both sides. He repeated in 2026, while serving in a caretaker capacity,that Iraq remained in contact with both governments about hosting a dialogue. Iran'sForeign Ministry publicly welcomed the Iraqi mediation effort at the time,praising Baghdad's role on matters of regional stability.

Al-Zaidi and the senior delegationaccompanying him concluded a five-day official visit to the United States onSaturday, the first foreign trip of his premiership. The trip centered on a broadeconomic partnership intended to support the Iraqi economy, expand investmentopportunities, and stimulate the domestic labor market, alongside efforts toopen new outlets for Iraqi crude oil exports and raise production and refiningcapacity.

The prime minister arrived in Qataron Sunday to offer condolences over the death of the former Emir of Qatar.

A regional tour covering Turkiye,Saudi Arabia, and Syria is scheduled for the coming days, following the Iranleg, with bilateral relations and energy files as its focus.

Iranian Positions

After al-Zaidi’s designation in May,Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi congratulated him and said Iran“respects Iraqi sovereignty and supports its political stability anddevelopment.” Araghchi welcomed the cabinet again after parliament granted itconfidence on May 14. However, Washington's visit drew criticism from Ali AkbarVelayati, senior international affairs adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader and aformer Iranian foreign minister, describing the trip as “ill-timed” and as “underminingthe struggles of the Iraqi people over the country's history,” and referring toal-Zaidi as a young and inexperienced prime minister. Velayati tied hisobjection to the timing, noting that mourning ceremonies for the assassinatedIranian Supreme Leader had not concluded when the visit took place.

Read more: Iraq's al-Zaidi rebalances Iran ties before Washington visit ...