It is Blair's seventh visit to Iraq and is expected to be his last before he steps down from office next month.

Of the rocket attack, Blair's spokesman said: "We are not pretending this isn't an occurrence that happens on a fairly regular basis. We have no information to suggest anything other than the usual business."

Three Katyusha rockets were fired at about 8.30am, about a mile away from where Blair was meeting Iraqi leaders. One security guard was killed in the attack.

The prime minister had flown from Washington DC via Kuwait. He was greeted by Maliki at the Presidential Residence in the Green Zone. "He's in Baghdad against a backdrop of the continuing major security operation but also significant developments in Iraqi politics, " a spokesman said. Blair is expected to push for greater reconciliation between Iraq's Sunni and Shia factions.