Iraq's prime minister expected to visit Iran and Saudi Arabia in coming days

Sources quoted by state media say Mustafa Al Kadhimi will follow up on 'good progress' made by Saudi Arabia and Iran in talks hosted by Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi is preparing to leave Baghdad for visits to Tehran and Riyadh. AFP

Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi will visit Iran and Saudi Arabia in the coming days, state media reported on Saturday.

“Mr Al Kadhimi will visit the Islamic Republic and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia back-to-back, within days,” the Iraqi News Agency quoted sources as saying.

The sources said “the two visits come within the framework of consultations that Saudi Arabia and Iran recently held in Baghdad”.

Mr Al Kadhimi will discuss a number of topics, including diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the sources said.

Saudi Arabia and Iran launched talks last year amid a push by global powers to salvage a nuclear pact with Tehran.

In February, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Riyadh was looking to schedule a fifth round of direct talks with Iran despite a “lack of substantive progress” in previous rounds.

The fifth round of talks was reportedly held in April.

Riyadh severed ties with Tehran in 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in the Iranian capital following the execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia.

Mr Al Kadhmi said this month the Iran-Saudi talks had made good progress.

“Iraq has largely succeeded in easing tensions in the region and this is very important,” he said at a press conference on June 7.