Tasnim – Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi plans to pay an official visit to Iran, likely on Monday, to hold talks with senior officials of the Islamic Republic on issues of mutual interest, local media reported.

Quoting informed sources, the Arabic-language al-Forat TV Network reported that Abdul-Mahdi will arrive in Tehran later on Monday.

During his talks with high-ranking Iranian officials, the Iraqi premier will discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, including recent tensions in the region, according to the report.

The visit would come against the backdrop of increased tensions between Iran and the US after the Islamic Republic shot down an advanced US spy drone over its territorial waters.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on June 20 that a US spy drone that violated the Iranian territorial airspace in the early hours of the day was shot down by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s air defense unit near the Kooh-e-Mobarak region in the southern province of Hormozgan.

The intruding drone was reportedly shot by Iran’s homegrown air defense missile system “Khordad-3rd”.

Later on the same day, US President Donald Trump said he had called off a retaliatory attack on a number of targets in Iran and said that he was ready to speak with Iranian leaders and come to an understanding that would allow the country to improve its economic prospects. “What I’d like to see with Iran, I’d like to see them call me.”

“I look forward to the day where we can actually help Iran. We're not looking to hurt Iran,” Trump added.

However, on June 24 Trump announced new sanctions against top Iranian officials, including the office of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Iran’s foreign minister, and senior commanders of the IRGC.