Heading a high-ranking political and economic delegation, Zarif arrived in Erbil, the Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital, this morning.  

He was welcomed by the prime minister of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), Nechirvan Barzani, on arriving.

The Iranian top diplomat is slated to hold talks with senior KRG officials on a range of issues, including ways to boost bilateral relations.   

On Sunday, Zarif arrived in Baghdad for an official visit. The visit comes against the backdrop of Iran’s efforts to boost its foreign trade in the US sanctions era.

Iraq’s foreign minister said recently that his country is “not obliged” to abide by sanctions imposed by the US against Iran and would be pursuing options to continue bilateral trade.