Iranian first vice-president departed for Najaf in central southern part of Iraq to attend the Arbaeen rituals to be held in Karbala on November 10.
Iraq's prime minister has defended a proposal to trim the self-ruled Kurdish region's share in next year's budget from 17 percent to 12.6 percent.
Some American pilgrims jointed other Muslim mourners in Imam Ali Street, Najaf, central-south Iraq, on Tuesday.
Iraqi popular forces from Desert Lions brigade deployed in the desert regions along the Najaf-Karbala road to protect the Shiite pilgrims during the long march of Arbaeen, against possible terrorist attacks.
Two persons attempting to carry out suicide attacks against the pilgrims in west of Baghdad were identified and shot dead by the Iraqi security forces, local sources announced on Tuesday.
Iraq's highest-ranking Sunni is in Washington this week pleading for more military aid for his community's militias, hoping the Trump administration will deliver on pledges to counter what is alleged as "Iran's influence".
Iraq's Supreme Federal Court ruled on Monday that no region or province can secede from the country, reacting to a Kurdish vote for independence, a court spokesman said.
Gordon Brown admits the war with Iraq was "not justified" and claims the US "misled" the UK over Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.
Iraq's Kurdistan region on Thursday offered a joint Kurdish-Iraqi deployment at a strategic crossing with Turkey, with participation of observers from the U.S.-led coalition helping fight Isis.
Four members of Turkey's security forces and four Kurdish militants were killed in a clash early on Thursday near the border between northern Iraq and southeast Turkey, security and hospital sources said.