Iranian, Iraqi presidents meet after border closure, militia row: What to know

Detailed summary

It was the first meeting between the countries’ leaders since Iraq shut the Sheeb border crossing with Iran in late October, a move a senior Iraqi official later tied to pressure from Washington.

The presidents of Iraq and Iran praised their “deep ties” in a meeting on the sidelines of the COP31 climate conference in Turkey on Wednesday, weeks after Baghdad closed border crossings with Iran under US pressure and began moving against Iran-backed militias.

What happened: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi President Nizar Amedi discussed “recent developments in their bilateral relations” and the importance of strengthening ties, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Background: It was the first meeting between the countries’ leaders since Iraq shut the Sheeb border crossing with Iran in late October, a move a senior Iraqi official later tied to pressure from Washington.

Government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said at the time that the crossing was closed due to technical issues and noted that other crossings remain open. Iraq then reopened the crossing, which connects Iraq's southeast Maysan province to Khuzestan province in southwest Iran, on Nov. 10.

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