Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is headed to Iran Monday for talks with key Tehran officials about the joint fight against Islamic State militants and economic links between the two countries.
Abadi's office said the one-day trip is aimed at uniting efforts in the region "to help Iraq in its war against the terrorist group."
The Iraqi leader is bringing his ministers for oil, electricity, the economy and commerce. Tehran and Baghdad conduct $4.2 billion in trade a year.
Tehran is a key supporter of the Shi'ite-led Baghdad government and reports say it has sent troops inside Iraq to fight the militants. The Islamic State group has mounted a months-long campaign and taken over a vast swath of land in Iraq and Syria as its seeks to create a religious caliphate aimed at imposing its strict interpretation of Sharia law.
Abadi's trip comes as the Iraqi government, for the first time since 2010, has a full slate of national security ministers, after filling the defense and interior portfolios on Saturday.
