Even as Iraq struggles with the pros and cons of having US and other foreign troops within its borders, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived March 11 in Baghdad for a three-day stay.
Rouhani, accompanied by a high-powered delegation from Tehran, began his trip by talking up the great relationship his country enjoys with Iraq and criticizing the United States and its sanctions against his country. This comes as some US officials attributed the United States’ presence in Iraq to being able to keep an eye on Iran and its efforts to expand its influence in the region.