Iran’s president makes first official visit to Iraq

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani who arrived in Baghdad Monday for his first official visit commended the “special” relations between Iran and Iraq and called for their expansion. “We have important projects to discuss during this visit,” said Rouhani. Iraq receives financial and military support from Washington and hosts some 5,200 American troops in bases there. Rouhani will hold talks with Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and meet Iraq’s leading cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, in the Shiite city of Najaf.