Iran's parliament speaker visits Najaf, says Iranian and Iraqi peoples share common costs

NAJAF, Iraq — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visited the Wadi al-Salam cemetery in Najaf on Friday with a delegation of Iranian lawmakers, saying the peoples of Iran and Iraq have paid a common price against global powers. Speaking during the visit, Ghalibaf thanked the Iraqi people for the participation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in funeral ceremonies held in Najaf and Karbala. Ghalibaf said Iran had stood alongside Iraq in the fight against ISIS and stated that the axis of resistance is stronger than Israel. He stressed that the two countries' peoples must act in unity to counter U.S. hegemony. The visit comes as Iran and Iraq maintain close political and religious ties, with senior Iranian officials frequently traveling to Iraq's holy cities. No further details about the delegation's itinerary were immediately available.