ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is scheduled to visit Tehran on Wednesday for discussions with Iranian leaders on regional developments, disarmament of armed factions, and energy cooperation. The trip, described as “delayed” by some Iraqi officials, comes nearly a month after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
Sudani’s office confirmed the visit on Sunday, stating that the talks will focus on regional stability and bilateral relations. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei also announced the trip, emphasizing the importance of ongoing consultation between the two nations.
The visit follows speculation about a secret message allegedly sent to Sudani by the incoming Trump administration. According to unverified reports by The New Region, the message urged the disarmament of armed factions and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) before Trump will assume office. The message reportedly warned that the presence of such groups could give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu grounds to strike Iraq, including PMF headquarters.
At a ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of the killing of Qasem Solaimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandi, Sudani on Sunday commended the PMF as a “fundamental factor” in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), preserving the country’s security and peace.
Delayed visit raises questions
Some Iraqi lawmakers have criticized the timing of the visit. Haider al-Salami, a member of the Iraqi Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee, told The New Region that Sudani’s trip to Tehran is “overdue”.
“The visit comes late, especially after nearly a month has passed since the Syrian regime collapsed,” Salami said. He noted that Sudani had visited several other nations, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, in the weeks following Assad’s downfall.
“Iran cannot be excluded from the political scene in the Middle East,” he added.
According to Salami, Sudani’s agenda in Tehran will include discussions on the situation in Syria, Iranian gas and electricity supplies, and the control of unregulated weapons, an issue raised by Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Focus on armed factions
Ehsan al-Shammari, head of the Iraqi Political Thinking Center, emphasized the importance of Sudani’s visit given the regional and international pressure on Iraq.
“Sudani’s visit to Iran is critical at this time because of the sensitive issues he plans to discuss,” Shammari told The New Region. He said Sudani is expected to push Iran to support the disarmament of armed factions in Iraq to distance the country from regional conflicts.
“Western powers are pressuring Iraq to dismantle these factions as part of a broader strategy to reshape the Middle East,” Shammari said. He warned that failing to address the issue could lead to political and security instability.
The United States has reportedly made the disarmament of armed factions a condition for maintaining its support for Iraq. Shammari noted that many of these factions rely on state infrastructure, which could become a target if disarmament efforts intensify.
US Signals on Armed Groups
Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Wisdom Movement and a prominent figure in Iraq’s Coordination Framework, recently disclosed information suggesting that the United States is planning actions against Iraqi armed groups.
“There is a stance being taken against the factions,” Hakim said during a public gathering in Najaf, citing information from the US administration. He clarified that the targeting is directed specifically at armed factions like Kata'ib Hezbollah and al-Nujaba, not the Coordination Framework as a political bloc.
A broader diplomatic push
Since the fall of the Assad regime, Sudani has visited several countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan, where he discussed security and regional cooperation. Iraq also participated in the Aqaba Conference in Jordan, which included representatives from the United States and other nations.
On the Iranian side, President Masoud Pezeshkian's first foreign visit was to Iraq in September 2024. His three-day trip included stops in Baghdad, Erbil, Sulaimani, Najaf, Karbala, and Basra.
The Iranian president’s visit to Iraq saw the signing of 14 memoranda of understanding in various fields, which Sudani said would “represent a promising roadmap to enhance joint cooperations between the two countries.”
Sudani previously visited Tehran in May 2024 to attend the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a plane crash.
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