On the final day of his visit to Iraq, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for “union” among West Asian countries to protect their interests, similar to the European Union.
Pezeshkian concluded his three-day tour of Iraq on Friday with a visit to Basra, the oil-rich southern province. He was received at Basra International Airport by local officials, including Governor Asaad Al-Eidani and Provincial Council President Khalaf Al-Badran.
Addressing tribal leaders and politicians at the Oil Cultural Center in Basra, the Iranian president said: “We have always been together, and we must unite again to ensure our scientific and economic progress.”
“We see how European citizens can travel seamlessly across France and other European countries. Why can’t we in this region travel easily between West Asian countries?”
Pezeshkian stressed the importance of advancing the Shalamcheh-Basra railway project, as a key step toward strengthening bilateral relations.
The president arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday and signed 14 MoUs with the federal government covering trade, training, labor, and religious tourism.
Meanwhile, a government official has denied reports that Iraq and Iran discussed a new mechanism for settling Iraq’s debt to Iran.
However, diplomatic sources revealed on Friday that Iraq had informed Iran of its commitment to repaying the debt without breaching US sanctions on Tehran.
Iraq compensates Iran for the gas it imports for electricity generation by depositing funds in non-Iraqi banks, with transactions monitored by US authorities. According to the sources, the Iraqi government “did not respond to Iranian proposals to alter this payment mechanism.”
Local and regional media reported that Iraq rejected an Iranian proposal during Pezeshkian’s visit to settle the debts using either the Iraqi Dinar or the Iranian Rial.
Sources noted that this Iranian proposal is not new and is often dismissed due to US sanctions. One source explained: “The matter is highly complex and sensitive, and the restrictions cannot be bypassed.”
Iraq relies on Iranian gas imports to meet its energy needs. However, paying off the debt has been challenging due to sanctions, leading to substantial arrears.
