Iraqi Shiite leader meets with Jordan king in rare visit

AMMAN, Jordan – Jordan's king met Monday with an influential Iraqi Shiite leader, as the United States stepped up efforts to contain the influence of Shiite-led Iran in the Middle East.

On Monday, Jordan's King Abdullah II received Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shiite leader who in the past urged Shiite militias in Iraq to disband. A palace statement said the two talked about the need for expanding trade and economic cooperation, but provided no details.

A day earlier, Abdullah had met with Iraq's prime minister, Haider al-Abadi.