BAGHDAD — Iran's president began a historic visit here Sunday, decrying the presence of foreign troops and subtly criticizing American allies.
In meetings with Iraqi leaders, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad outlined his nation's plans to consolidate economic ties with Iraq, speaking within earshot of roaring U.S. helicopters taking off from Landing Zone Washington in the nearby Green Zone.
Nearly five years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Ahmadinejad's visit underscored the realignment of Iraq from a country that once fought Iran in a grinding war to one increasingly within Tehran's economic, political and cultural orbit of influence.
In his appearances, Ahmadinejad conveyed a message of friendship and warm ties between Iran and Iraq, despite the presence of more than 150,000 U.S. troops here.
"Iran and Iraq are two friendly nations," Ahmadinejad said at one of several appearances before the media. "Both have common history and civilization. Both of them have deep, intimate sentimental and social relations."
Iran, the United States' chief antagonist in the Middle East, and Iraq are both dominated by Shiite Muslim majorities. Iran hopes to solidify its gains in Iraq by weaving together the two country's economies.
Ahmadinejad's visit, scheduled to end today, was largely billed as a mission about business. According to Iraqi and Iranian officials, private discussions included the expansion of trade ties, creation of cross-border industrial zones, exchange of technical expertise, integration of banking systems and the launching of joint investment projects in the oil, electricity, transportation and heavy industry sectors.
Trade between the countries already totals $8 billion a year. Iran is now arranging a $1-billion loan to Iraq in goods and services provided through Iranian companies. Most of Ahmadinejad's entourage consists of experts in economy and energy, rather than security, said Mohammed Marandi, the head of North American studies at Tehran University.
"The more two neighboring countries are integrated economically, the less will be the chance of war breaking out between them," he said.
The visit was protested by some Sunni Arab groups that resent the influence Shiite Muslim and ethnically Persian Iran has amassed in Iraq in recent years. Sunnis were favored under Hussein.
The Kirkuk Iraqi Front, a Sunni group in northern Iraq, released a statement likening Iran to "a poisoned dagger in the chest of Iraqis."
