An Iraqi government official announced Sunday that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi will not visit Tehran as scheduled, in a sign of Iran’s dissatisfaction with the statements of the outgoing PM on US sanctions. The Iranian stop would have been part of Abadi’s tour which kicks off on Tuesday in Turkey to discuss economic relations between the two countries. Agence France Presse (AFP) quoted Iraqi political sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying that Iran initially agreed to the visit but changed its mind because it was unhappy about Abadis remarks. Last week, Iraq’s PM indicated his country does not agree with US sanctions against Iran but will abide by them to protect its own interests. “As a matter of principle we are against sanctions in the region. Blockade and sanctions destroy societies and do not weaken regimes,” he said at a news conference. An Iraqi official said Saturday that Abadi would visit both neighboring Turkey and Iran to discuss economic issues.  Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told the semi-official ISNA news agency that he did not have any knowledge of Abadis reported visit to Iran. “I have not received any prior notification or witnessed an official announcement on the visit” said Ghasemi. Meanwhile, informed Iraqi political sources confirmed that the Iranians are not satisfied with Abadi’s recent statements on US sanctions on Tehran. At his press conference last week, Abadi described the US sanctions as a “strategic mistake and incorrect but we will abide by them to protect the interests of our people. We will not interact with them or support them but we will abide by them.” On Sunday, Iranian supreme leader Ali Khameneis representative in Baghdad, Moujtaba al-Hussein, lashed out at Abadi as the Tehran visit was called off. "These irresponsible remarks have already been condemned by many people. Its a disloyal attitude towards the honest position of Iran and the blood of the martyrs this country has spilled to defend the land of Iraq" against militants, said Hussein. "We are saddened by this position which shows he (Abadi) has been defeated psychologically in the face of the Americans," he concluded. Shiite parties and factions close to Iran have also rejected the PMs position. Abadi’s Islamic Dawa Party called upon all free countries in the world, especially Islamic governments, to reject the unjust US sanctions against Iran. Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the main factions of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), issued a statement, saying it "regrets the Prime Minister’s position on US sanctions against Iran." The statement added that Abadi’s government is working outside its electoral timeframe and without a parliamentary support, and therefore its position is not binding for the coming government. The Badr Organization, the main faction of PMF, also called for the Iraqi government to stand with Iran as an advocate and supporter. Baghdad supports Washington in the war on ISIS, which it ended in late 2017, and also backs Iran which has a strong presence in Iraqi political affairs. Iraq is the second largest importer of Iranian products, aside from fuel, with total imports reaching about $6 billion last year. Iraqi provinces bordering Iran depend heavily on the Islamic Republic for their electricity supply. The United States reintroduced earlier this month tough economic sanctions against Iran, which were lifted after the landmark nuclear agreement reached in 2015 with major powers.