Iraqi local media said that the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Ismail Qaani, arrived in Baghdad on Sunday evening, and upon his arrival met Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi and Iraqi politicians.

The same source pointed to a possible meeting between the Iranian general and the supreme Shiite cleric in Iraq, Ali al-Sistani, in Najaf.

Independent politician Ezzat Al-Shabandar said in a tweet on Twitter that Al-Kazemi received Qaani and listened to soft messages before his departure to Washington and his scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump on the 20th of this month.

While the Katyusha rockets did not stop at the American forces present in the Taji camp last night and the Green Zone this evening, Mr. Al-Kazemi received his guest Mr. Qaani and listened to his soft messages before the first travel to the United States of America and his meeting with Trump on the 20th of this month.

- Izzat Shabandar (@IAlshabandar) August 16, 2020

On the other hand, the representative of the Iraqi Forces Alliance, Dhafer Al-Ani, expressed his dissatisfaction with carrying Qaani's messages to Trump, pointing out that Iran's goal is to dwarf Iraq in the eyes of the international community by turning it into a mere postman for its messages.

We do not have to carry the messages that Ismail Qaani brought to Trump. This visit to the Prime Minister of Iraq and the interests of our country is more important than the interest of any other country.
Iran's goal is to dwarf Iraq in the eyes of the international community when it turns it into a mere postman for the Iranian Quds Force messages.

- Zafer Al Ani (@DhaferAlani) August 17, 2020

Iraqis saw through their social media accounts that Qaani's visit is similar to that of Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif to Iraq prior to Al-Kazemi's visit to Saudi Arabia, which was canceled due to the deteriorating health of King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

The journalist Zaid Abdul-Wahab considered that these visits were unnecessary, because the Katyusha rockets that were being fired at the American bases in Iraq conveyed a clear message to Washington.

Before every foreign visit, you find them in Baghdad…
Zarif came before visiting Riyadh, and today he came to me to visit Washington. There is no need for all this effort. The daily Katyusha letters arrived, stopped and fulfilled. #State_state_State

- Dr. Zaid Abdel Wahab Al-Azzhami (@zaidabdulwahab) August 17, 2020

For his part, the journalist Hussam Al-Taie said that the visits of Iranian officials to Iraq always precede the visit of an Iraqi delegation to Riyadh or Washington.

Qaani ends his meeting with Al-Kazemi before his upcoming visit to Washington

đź”´ The visits of Iranian officials are always before the visit of the Iraqi delegation to America or Saudi Arabia in particular, and any Arab country in general # Iraq # Baghdad # Iraq_flashpic.twitter.com/m83BjAFX88

- Husam Altaee (@husam_taee) August 16, 2020

Visit Washington

Al-Kazemi is scheduled to start an official visit to the United States on Tuesday, at the head of a government delegation based on an official invitation, and he will meet US President Donald Trump on Thursday (nine o'clock in the evening Baghdad time).

The visit comes after Baghdad and Washington conducted a first round of talks within the framework of the "strategic dialogue" last June, to redraw the relations between the two countries, which were organized by the "strategic framework" agreement.

Al-Kazemi visited Iran on July 21, and met with President Hassan Rouhani, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and the Speaker of the Shura Council, Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf, in his first official foreign visit since the formation of his government last May.