Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has invited Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and newly elected Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian to visit Baghdad, demonstrating a proactive approach to improving regional relationships amidst ongoing security challenges.

Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari delivered a handwritten invitation from Al-Sudani to the Kuwaiti Emir on Monday, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA). Al-Shammari reported that his recent diplomatic mission to Kuwait was highly successful, with discussions on enhancing residency arrangements, simplifying visa procedures, and intensifying intelligence cooperation to combat drug trafficking.

Kuwait's Interior Minister is set to attend an upcoming security summit in Baghdad on July 22. This development comes amid dissatisfaction from some Iraqi Shia groups over Kuwait's restrictions on Shia religious expressions during Ashura.

The diplomatic mission also addressed broader security concerns, including border management and organized crime, reinforcing the implementation of a 2016 bilateral memorandum of understanding.

Additionally, Al-Sudani engaged in a phone conversation with President-elect Pezeshkian, extending an official visit invitation and discussing bilateral cooperation across economic and security sectors. Pezeshkian, a cardiac surgeon and former lawmaker, is Iran's first non-cleric president since 2013, elected in a contentious run-off on July 5.

These invitations reflect Iraq's commitment to overcoming historical tensions with its neighbors, including the aftermath of the 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, which resulted in over one million casualties. Despite these challenges, Iraq continues efforts to delineate land and maritime borders with Kuwait under UN resolutions.