Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will travel to Iraq on Wednesday at the head of a high-level parliamentary delegation to hold talks on regional developments. Iran’s IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday that Ghalibaf will depart on Wednesday morning for Iraq to discuss regional developments, ways to boost strategic cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad, and joint mechanisms to help consolidate stability and security in West Asia. Ghalibaf's visit comes amid discussions within Iraq's ruling coalition about the fate of the weapons of pro-Iran armed factions following the planned withdrawal of US forces on September 30. Tensions are mounting in Iraq after the arrest of a leader in the pro-Iran Al-Nujaba Movement. Ghalibaf is scheduled to meet with several senior Iraqi officials to discuss developing bilateral relations, border security, countering terrorism, expanding economic cooperation, and implementing joint agreements between the two countries, said IRNA. Iraq is under pressure from Washington to disarm powerful Iran-backed armed factions that have gained significant political and financial influence in the country. Ghalibaf's visit comes two days after the office of the Prime Minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, and the residence of the local intelligence director in Erbil were targeted by two drones that Erbil said were launched from Iran. Barzani slammed the "reckless and unacceptable" attacks that are a "dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the region's security and stability." Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered a probe into the attacks on Monday. In a statement, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, that "he does not possess information indicating the attacks originated from Iranian territory," and that "there is no justification for such actions." He underscored "the positive and solid relations between the Iranian government with the Kurdistan Regional Government, particularly with the two main parties in the region". "Kurdish friends must exercise caution regarding false flag ploys aimed at sowing discord between neighbors," he warned.
