By Timour Azhari
LONDON (Reuters) – Iraq is attempting to persuade highly effective armed factions within the nation which have fought U.S. forces and fired rockets and drones at Israel to put down their weapons or be a part of official safety forces, International Minister Fuad Hussein mentioned.
The push comes with a backdrop of seismic shifts within the Center East which have seen Iran’s armed allies in Gaza and Lebanon closely degraded and Syria’s authorities overthrown by rebels.
The incoming U.S. Trump administration guarantees to pile extra strain on Tehran, which has lengthy backed various political events and an array of armed factions in Iraq.
Some Baghdad officers are involved the established order there could also be upended subsequent, however Hussein performed this down in an interview with Reuters throughout an official go to to London.
“We don’t think that Iraq is the next,” Hussein mentioned.
The federal government was in talks to rein within the teams whereas persevering with to stroll the tightrope between its ties to each Washington and Tehran, he mentioned.
“Two or three years ago it was impossible to discuss this topic in our society,” he mentioned.
However now, having armed teams functioning outdoors the state was not acceptable.
“Many political leaders, many political parties started to raise a discussion, and I hope that we can convince the leaders of these groups to lay down their arms, and then to be part of the armed forces under the responsibility of the government,” Hussein mentioned.
Iraq’s balancing act has been examined by Iran-backed Iraqi armed teams’ assaults on Israel and on U.S. troops within the nation they are saying are in solidarity with Palestinians in the course of the Israel-Hamas battle.
A promised Gaza ceasefire has the federal government respiratory a sight of reduction, although uncertainty prevails over how the nation could fare after Donald Trump turns into U.S. president.
Over the past Trump presidency, relations grew tense as he ordered the assassination of Iranian Common Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020, resulting in an Iranian ballistic missile assault on an Iraqi base housing U.S. forces.
“We hope that we can continue this good relationship with Washington,” Hussein mentioned. “It is too early now to talk about which policy President Trump is going to follow for Iraq or Iran.”
With Iraq attempting to chart a diplomatic third-way, Hussein mentioned Baghdad was prepared to assist diffuse tensions between Washington and Tehran if requested and famous earlier mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran that paved the way in which for his or her normalization of relations in 2023.
SYRIA
Armed revolution in neighbouring Syria has been seen with concern.
The Islamist rebels now in energy in Damascus had been among the many Sunni Muslim militants that entered Shia-majority Iraq from Syria after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, fuelling years of sectarian battle.
Islamic State crossed the identical manner a decade later and undertook bloody massacres earlier than being overwhelmed again by a U.S.-led worldwide army coalition and Iraqi safety forces and Iran-aligned factions.
Iraq will solely be reassured about Syria when it sees an inclusive political course of, Hussein mentioned, including Baghdad would provide the nation with grain and oil as soon as it could possibly be assured it could go to all Syrians.
Baghdad was in talks with Syria’s overseas minister over a go to to Iraq, he mentioned.
“We are worried about the ISIS, so we are in contact with the Syrian side to talk about these things, but at the end to have a stable Syria means to have the representative of all components in the political process.”
Baghdad and Washington final yr agreed to finish the U.S-led coalition’s work by September 2026 and transition to bilateral army ties, however Hussein mentioned that the developments in Syria must be watched.
“In the first place, we are thinking about security of Iraq and stability in Iraq. If there will be a threat to our country, of course it will be a different story,” he mentioned.
“But until this moment we don’t see a threat.”
