Iraqi PM Visits Damascus in First Trip Since Assad's Fall

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Damascus on Wednesday, the first visit by an Iraqi head of government since Bashar al-Assad's fall in late 2024.

• Zaidi arrived at Damascus International Airport and was received by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
• Sharaa said talks would cover security, social, and economic files, with shared interests "ahead of any moody policies."
• Iraq has begun exporting limited quantities of oil via Syria after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted by the Middle East war.
• Sharaa said communications with Baghdad continue over Syrian detainees among more than 5,700 ISIS suspects the US military transferred from Syria to Iraq.