Iranian President Arrives in Baghdad

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, has traveled to Iraq for meetings and discussions with Iraqi officials. This is Mr. Rouhani's first visit to Iraq. The U.S. government has repeatedly warned about what it describes as Tehran's 'interference' in Iraq. According to the state news agency 'IRNA', the Iranian president stated before his trip that the issue of 'transit is of particular importance' for the Islamic Republic, adding that 'we are interested in developing communication routes between Iran and Iraq.' He also mentioned topics such as economic and trade relations, the issue of dust storms and environmental crises, investment, and tourism as other matters for discussion between the parties. Rouhani's visit will last three days, during which he is expected to meet with Barham Salih, the President, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, the Prime Minister, Mohammed al-Halbousi, the Speaker of Parliament, and Ali Sistani, the influential Shia cleric. It seems that with the return of U.S. sanctions against Iran following Donald Trump's withdrawal from the 'JCPOA', Iraq has become one of the key countries for Tehran in financial and trade exchanges. Iranian officials have stated that they are trying to use Iraq's currency instead of the dollar in their transactions. Tehran has also begun selling gas to Baghdad since last year, although with the return of sanctions, Iraq must receive exemptions in this regard. In January of this year, Iran's foreign minister stated that the two countries could 'increase the ceiling of exchanges to $20 billion per year.' However, it is still unclear how this increase in trade between the two countries, which currently stands at $12 billion according to Tehran officials, will be achieved. Iran's presence in Iraq dates back to before Trump's exit from the JCPOA, and Tehran-backed forces have played a major role in battles against the group known as the Islamic State in recent years. These forces have now also entered the political scene in Iraq. Some of these militias face accusations such as human rights violations and actions that constitute 'war crimes against civilian citizens.' On the other hand, the U.S. government usually closely monitors Iran's activities and presence in Iraq. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, has accused Iran of 'trying to reduce freedom in Iraq' and creating instability in the country. Some other U.S. allies, like Britain, have also warned that Iraq must free itself from the 'economic influence of the Islamic Republic' and become energy self-sufficient. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, has also stated that maintaining part of his country's military forces in Iraq is important because it allows 'Washington to closely monitor Iran.' Reuters reports that Mr. Rouhani's visit to Iraq carries a message for the United States and its regional allies regarding the presence and influence of the Islamic Republic in Iraq; a field that could be a site for increased tensions between Washington and Tehran.