Nouri al-Maliki

Iraq's government says Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will make his first official visit to Iran on Monday.

Officials say his two-day visit will focus on security issues and promoting bilateral relations.

Earlier this week, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh led a delegation of officials on a visit to Iran aimed at enhancing economic ties between the two nations.

Iraq and Iran fought a bloody war in the 1980s when then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was in power. The neighboring countries have tried to build closer ties in recent years.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.