BAGHDAD (Dispatches) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has cancelled a visit to Iran, his press office said Sunday, as the premier came under strong Iranian criticism over his stand on renewed U.S. sanctions against Tehran.
Abadi will still go ahead with a planned visit to Turkey on Tuesday but has scrapped the Iran leg of the trip "because of his busy schedule," his office said.
An Iraqi official had said Saturday that Abadi would visit both neighboring Turkey and Iran to discuss economic issues.
According to Iraqi political sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, Iran initially agreed to the visit but changed its mind because it was unhappy about Abadi's remarks.
The premier said last Tuesday that Iraq - which relies on neighboring Iran as a source of imports - would reluctantly comply with U.S. sanctions against Tehran that took effect the same day.
"We don't support the sanctions because they are a strategic error, but we will comply with them," said Abadi, whose country is an ally of both Tehran and Washington. "In general, sanctions are unjust."
On Sunday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei's representative in Baghdad lashed out at Abadi as the Tehran visit was called off.
"These irresponsible remarks have already been condemned by many people. It's a disloyal attitude towards the honest position of Iran and the blood of the martyrs this country has spilt to defend the land of Iraq (against Takfiri terrorists)," said Moujtaba al-Hussein.
"We are saddened by this position which shows he has been defeated psychologically in the face of the Americans," he said.
In Tehran, the foreign ministry was more guarded about a possible visit by Abadi.
A ministry spokesman said he had "so far not received any official news or information whatsoever about this trip", the ISNA news agency reported.
An informed source, quoted by Fars news agency, said however that a visit by the Iraqi prime minister was not on the agenda yet.