Iraq is trying to convince the country’s powerful armed factions that have fought U.S. forces and fired rockets and drones into Israel to lay down their arms or join official security forces, Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein said.
The move comes amid seismic changes in the Middle East that have seen Iran’s armed allies in Gaza and Lebanon heavily degraded and the Syrian government toppled by rebels.
The new US Trump administration promises to put more pressure on Tehran, which has long supported a number of political parties and many armed factions in Iraq.
Some officials in Baghdad fear the status quo could be upended, but Hussein played down that notion in an interview with Reuters during an official visit to London.
“We don’t think Iraq is the next country,” Hussein said.
The government is in talks to rein in the groups while continuing to walk a tightrope between its ties with Washington and Tehran, he said.
“Two or three years ago it was impossible to discuss this topic in our society,” he said.
But now it is no longer acceptable for armed groups to operate outside the state.
“Many political leaders, many political parties have started to start a debate and I hope we can convince the leaders of these groups to lay down their arms and then become part of the armed forces under the responsibility of the government,” said Hussein. said.
Iraq’s balance has been tested by attacks by Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups against Israel and against U.S. troops in the country they say stand in solidarity with the Palestinians during the war between Israel and the Hamas.
The promise of a ceasefire in Gaza gives the government a sense of relief, even as uncertainty prevails over how the country might fare after Donald Trump becomes US president.
During the last Trump presidency, relations became strained when he ordered the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020, leading to an Iranian ballistic missile attack on an Iraqi base housing US forces.
“We hope to be able to continue these good relations with Washington,” Hussein said. “It is too early to talk about what policy President Trump will follow toward Iraq or Iran.”
As Iraq attempts to chart a third diplomatic path, Hussein said Baghdad was ready to help ease tensions between Washington and Tehran if asked, and pointed to previous mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Iran which paved the way for the normalization of their relations in 2023.
Syria
The armed revolution in neighboring Syria was viewed with concern.
The Islamist rebels now ruling Damascus were among Sunni Muslim militants who crossed into predominantly Shiite Iraq from Syria after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, fueling years of sectarian war.
Islamic State took the same path a decade later and committed bloody massacres before being pushed back by an international military coalition led by the United States, Iraqi security forces and Iran-aligned factions.
Iraq will only be reassured about Syria when it sees an inclusive political process, Hussein said, adding that Baghdad would provide the country with grain and oil once it was assured they would go to all countries. Syrians.
Baghdad was in talks with the Syrian foreign minister about a visit to Iraq, he said.
“We are worried about ISIS, that’s why we are in contact with the Syrian side to discuss these things, but ultimately having a stable Syria means having a representative of all components in the process policy.”
Baghdad and Washington agreed last year to end the work of the US-led coalition by September 2026 and move to bilateral military relations, but Hussein said developments would need to be monitored. the situation in Syria.
“First of all, we think about the security and stability of Iraq. If there is a threat to our country, of course it will be a different story,” he said.
“But so far we don’t see any threats.”
