Visas no longer needed for travel between Iraq and Iran

Agreement reached during visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi to Tehran

Hassan Rouhani, left, with Ebrahim Raisi, who succeeded Mr Rouhani as Iran's president in August.

Ebrahim Raisi gives a news conference after voting in the presidential election, at a polling station in Tehran.

A conservative, Ebrahim Raisi was widely regarded as the front-runner in the June presidential election.

Mr Raisi waves to supporters at a campaign rally in Tehran during the 2017 presidential election.

Mr Raisi won 38 per cent of votes in 2017.

A girl holds a poster of Mr Raisi during a campaign rally in Tehran in 2017.

Supporters of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani chant slogans during a election rally in 2017.

Ebrahim Raisi gained the support of prominent figures for this year's run. EPA

Women wait to cast their ballots during the 2017 presidential elections.

Hassan Rouhani, centre, Ebrahim Raisi, left, and former parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani.

Presidential candidates Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Ebrahim Raisi, Mohsen Rezaei, Mohsen Mehralizadeh, Abdolnasser Hemmati, Alireza Zakani and Saeed Jalili.

Supporters of Mr Raisi during a campaign rally on June 6.

Mr Raisi was born into a religious family in the holy city of Mashhad in 1960.

A worker prepares a banner for Mr Raisi's campaign in Tehran.

Seven presidential candidates during their first televised debate on June 5.

Mr Raisi addressing journalists on May 15 after registering his candidacy for the election.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Sunday that the visa requirement for travel between his country and neighbouring Iraq had been scrapped.

He made the announcement during a one-day visit to Tehran by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi.

Mr Raisi, who took office last month, also said Mr Al Kadhimi had agreed to allow more Iranians to make the Arbaeen pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala, in central Iraq.

The Iranian president said in a press conference that “good meetings” were held by Iraqi and Iranian officials, focusing on strengthening bilateral ties. He said the discussions focused on politics, the economy and cultural relations.

A railway connecting Shalamcheh in Iran to Basra in southern Iraq was also on the agenda, and Mr Raisi said the leaders had “decided to speed up its implementation in the interest of the two countries”.

Mr Al Kadhimi led a high-level delegation on his one-day visit, Iraqi state television reported. It was the first visit by a head of state to Iran since Mr Raisi took office.

Baghdad has also hosted rounds of talks between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia in recent months.

In August, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian took part in a meeting with heads of state and senior officials from France, Turkey and several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.

The session, hosted by Iraq, was aimed at easing tension in the Middle East and shored up Baghdad’s new role as a regional mediator.