BAGHDAD: French President Emmanuel Macron met Iraqi leaders Wednesday on his first visit to Baghdad where he stressed the war-scarred country must assert its "sovereignty" despite being caught up in US-Iran tensions.

Coming straight from a two-day trip to crisis-hit Lebanon, Macron is the most prominent world leader to visit Iraq since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi came to power in May. The trip aims to "launch an initiative alongside the United Nations to support a process of sovereignty," Macron said on the eve of his Iraq visit.

In Baghdad, he voiced his support for his Iraqi counterpart Barham Saleh to help fight Islamic State group sleeper cells and resist foreign interference.

"Iraq has been going through a challenging time for several years, with war and terrorism" as well as "multiple foreign interventions," Macron said.