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The Iraqi government on Tuesday denied reports about a planned visit by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to neighboring Iran.
“We have not announced any plans or intention by PM al-Abadi to visit Iran,” government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said in a statement.
“All reports [about the visit] are media leaks which we are not responsible for,” he said.
The Iraqi premier flew to Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday for talks with Turkish officials on bilateral cooperation and a host of other issues.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi left Baghdad for Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday for talks on bilateral cooperation between the two countries.Talks will tackle bilateral cooperation and a number of issues related to water, electricity, health, industry, investment and security, al-Abadi’s office said in a statement.On Monday, the Turkish Presidency said al-Abadi will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the visit.After his visit to Turkey, the Iraqi premier is expected to go to Iranian capital Tehran.Turkey, Iraq to discuss opening of new border crossing
Iraqi premier flies to Turkey for talks
Media reports said al-Abadi would continue on to Tehran following his visit to Turkey.
On Monday, the Iraqi premier said his government would not make dollar-dominated transactions with Iran -- in line with the U.S. sanctions -- while refraining from implementing the full raft of American penalties recently imposed on Tehran.
Last week, the U.S. re-imposed a first round of economic sanctions on Iran, which mainly target the country’s banking sector.
The sanctions are intended to hinder Tehran's acquisition of U.S. currency; its precious metals trade; bank transactions denominated in the Iranian rial; activities related to Iran's sovereign debt; and the country’s automotive sector.