Iran’s official news agency denied media reports that prominent Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is in Iran on a surprise visit.

“Muqtada al-Sadr has not traveled to Iran, nor does he have any plans for such a trip,” IRNA cited an informed source as saying as reported by Press TV. 

Arabic media reports earlier said that Sadr had traveled to Najaf from Baghdad before boarding an Iran Air plane headed for Tehran.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi-Ansari announced that Iran is ready to facilitate dialogue among all political factions in Iraq to help settle their existing differences.

He further called on all political sides in Iraq to exercise restraint and try to settle the country’s issues “through dialogue and political understanding.”

Iraq has been the scene of political turmoil over the past few weeks over Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s efforts to form a new cabinet.

On Saturday, protesters stormed the parliament building in Baghdad’s Green Zone, demanding that lawmakers approve the proposed technocrat government.

The protesters also called for the resignation of the Iraqi president, prime minster and parliament speaker