Iranian president calls Iraq counterpart Amedi for Eid, invites him to visit Iran

BAGHDAD — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called Iraqi President Nizar Amedi on Tuesday to offer Eid al-Adha congratulations, with both sides stressing the importance of “stopping war and ending tensions in the region through dialogue and diplomacy,” according to a statement from the Iraqi Presidency.

Pezeshkian extended an official invitation to Amedi to visit Iran. The two also discussed bilateral relations and affirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation in political, economic and trade sectors.

Iraq and Iran share deep political, economic and religious ties shaped by their long border, Shiite majority populations and decades of interaction. Iran is one of Iraq’s main trading partners and its political influence in Iraq has grown considerably since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, extending through ties with Shiite political groups and armed factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces. Pezeshkian visited Baghdad in September 2024 for his first foreign trip after taking office.