Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, traveled to the Iraqi city of Najaf this week as part of an official visit by an Iranian parliamentary delegation. During his time in the city, Ghalibaf visited the Wadi al-Salam cemetery to pay his respects at the grave of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the former deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).

According to reports from the Iran Student News Network, Ghalibaf also visited the burial sites of several other members of various Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups. These groups, collectively known as the PMF, are a state-sanctioned coalition of militias that have historically maintained close ties with Tehran. Al-Muhandis was killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike alongside Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, an event that remains a significant point of tension in regional geopolitics.

While the visit is framed by Iranian state media as a diplomatic gesture of tribute to fallen allies, the presence of a high-ranking Iranian official at the graves of these specific militia leaders highlights the ongoing influence Iran maintains over Iraqi security factions. The visit comes during a period of complex diplomatic relations between Baghdad and Tehran, as both nations navigate internal political pressures and the influence of foreign powers in the region.