Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Iran on Thursday to meet with Iranian officials. This is significant because it comes two weeks after the Iraqi leader met with US President Donald Trump. Zaidi is the new, young leader of Iraq, and Washington has hopes that he can finally rein in the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and help turn a page on US-Iraq relations. This could, in turn, stabilize Iraq and make it play a more important role in the region.
The US’s new Iraqi policies dovetail with Syria’s stability, as well as the new oil and energy deals that will see Iraq export oil through Syria. US Ambassador Tom Barrack, who is the envoy to Iraq and Syria, has supported this. Iran’s relationship with Iraq matters due to Iran’s influence in Iraq.
“Today, we head to Tehran on an official visit, during which we will meet with senior officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran to discuss files of common interest, bilateral cooperation, and consultation on regional issues and efforts aimed at consolidating security and stability in the region,” Zaidi wrote on X/Twitter on Thursday.
Zaidi went to Iran as Iran continues to carry out attacks against the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. The Kurdistan region has asked for air defenses against drone and missile attacks, but Iraq has not provided them. The US has forces in Erbil, and they have sought to confront these attacks by use of C-RAM defenses.
Energy firms suspend operations in Kurdish region as attacks in the region continue
The Iranian attacks have killed more than nine Kurdish members of Kurdish Iranian opposition groups. Energy firms, including Dana Gas, HKN, and Gulf Keystone, have suspended all operations.
Rudaw noted: “Energy firms operating in the Kurdistan region are an ‘integral part’ of Iraq’s economy, Baghdad government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi told Rudaw on Wednesday, affirming Iraq’s commitment to protecting those companies.”
The report also said, “The remarks come amid operational suspensions at several of the region’s key oil and gas fields, triggered by increased drone and missile attacks in recent days… Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi recently met with representatives of the international energy firms that are operating in the Kurdistan region, Aboudi told Rudaw’s Ziyad Ismail, emphasizing that the premier ‘provided sufficient guarantees to support their return to regular operations.’”
Iraq’s prime minister also recently met with Iran’s ambassador in Baghdad.
“The Iraqi government, despite the challenges posed by regional circumstances, remains committed to protecting these companies and ensuring their continued operation,” Aboudi affirmed to Rudaw.
On Wednesday night, more drone attacks occurred in the Kurdistan region. The Komala party, which is a Kurdish group that opposes Iran, said that six of its members had been wounded in an attack.
It is no accident that Zaidi is now in the spotlight. Iraq is important to the US’s regional policy. The US is 11 days into strikes on Iran, and Iraq is a frontline in the conflict.
Iraq becomes a frontline in Trump’s Iran strategy
Trump’s policy toward Iraq has increasingly focused on two interlocked goals: strengthening Baghdad’s ties with Washington while reducing the influence of Iranian-backed militias. Earlier in 2026, Trump publicly opposed the return of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. Maliki was close to Iran and was known for sectarian tendencies that worsened tensions between Shi’ites and Sunnis. Zaidi, however, eventually emerged as prime minister, and Trump welcomed him at the White House on July 14.
Trump praised Zaidi during their meeting and signaled that Washington wants to move the relationship beyond the recent anti-ISIS campaign toward investment and trade. US troops who backed Iraq against ISIS in 2014 are scheduled to leave Iraq in September.
US officials have made it clear that a closer relationship requires Iraq to bring Iranian-backed militia groups under state control. Disarming them, however, is no small matter. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Iranian-aligned militias had carried out more than 600 attacks on US citizens and facilities between February and April 2026, and welcomed Zaidi’s initiative to disarm them.
So far, Zaidi has not disarmed the militias – a fact that will, no doubt, be significant to the Iran visit. Zaidi likely wants to balance the US and Iran’s presence in Iraq. Iran has often benefited from this balance as it continues to operate its militias.
