Baghdad ? President Bush’s last trip to Iraq was kept secret until he arrived at a U.S. military base. Eight hours later he left, after Iraq’s leaders traveled to meet him there.

In sharp contrast, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit – the first ever by an Iranian leader to Iraq – was announced in advance. He plans to spend the night here, and Iranian TV will broadcast his departure ceremony live.

Once considered Iraq’s archenemy, Iran is now cozy with Baghdad’s Shiite-led government and eager to show off Tehran’s rising influence as debate rages in the U.S. over how quickly to leave.

Ahmadinejad was to arrive this morning at Baghdad’s airport and head to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani’s headquarters across the Tigris River from the new U.S. Embassy in the fortified Green Zone.

Ahmadinejad sought to reassure Iraqis ahead of the trip by disputing U.S. accusations that Iran is meddling in Iraqi affairs and fueling violence among Shiite militias.

“Iran has no need to intervene in Iraq. It is friendly to all groups in Iraq. Isn’t it ridiculous that those who have deployed 160,000 troops in Iraq accuse us of intervening there?” the Iranian state-run news agency, IRNA, quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

During the two-day visit, Ahmadinejad is scheduled to meet with Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki – both of whom have made official visits to Iran since taking office.

The trip symbolically serves several purposes for Iran. Ahmadinejad wants to highlight Shiite-dominated Iran’s influence but at the same time show that Iran is not a bully, analysts say.