Iraqi Ambassador to Iran Yasser Abdul-Zahra al-Hajjaj confirmed on Monday Iranian media reports regarding a "secret visit" by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to Iran last Friday. This marks al-Zaidi's second visit to the country, following an official visit on July 23. In statements to the official Iraqi News Agency, al-Hajjaj said that al-Zaidi’s visit to Iran "was unannounced and aims to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions and defusing the threat of war in the region." He added: “Iraq is not on the margins of regional developments, but is rather moving effectively in accordance with its supreme national interests, under the leadership of PM al-Zaidi, dedicating its diplomatic efforts to fostering de-escalation, preventing escalation, and strengthening regional stability.” An informed source had previously confirmed to Iran's Fars News Agency that al-Zaidi carried out a visit lasting several hours to Tehran last Friday, during which he met with the head of the Iranian negotiating delegation, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with discussions focusing on Iraq's efforts to end the war between Iran and the United States. Ghalibaf commended Iraq's initiatives and detailed a two-day Iranian proposal, stressing that Washington must respect Tehran's rights under the plan to advance the negotiations, source told the agency. The talks did not address any other issues. While no official statement has been issued by the Iraqi PM's office about the visit, the news of its confidential nature has raised eyebrows among some observers. The surprise stems from the fact that "declared Iraqi diplomacy has not engaged in known de-escalation and mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, unlike the steps taken by countries such as Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, and others," according to a source close to the ruling Coordination Framework who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat. The source did not rule out that the visit may be connected to US President Donald Trump’s phone call with al-Zaidi last Thursday, followed by the PM’s meeting with US envoy Tom Barrack on the same day. However, the source noted it remains unknown whether the trip was a personal initiative by al-Zaidi, a request from the Coordination Framework, or at the behest of the US or Iran.
