Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi is preparing for an upcoming trip to Washington, DC, Iraqi media outlets recently reported. The prime minister has been working since his May appointment to stabilize Iraq amid the regional crisis of the Iran war. In Washington, he is expected to seek investment and support from the US. Zaidi’s efforts to rein in Iranian-backed militias and have them disarm are expected to be in the spotlight. The planned visit received support from former Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi on June 11, when Mahdi called on Iraq to strengthen ties with the US.
While Zaidi has sought to disarm the militias, little progress has been made since several militias said they would disarm in early June. “Al-Zaidi has made state monopoly over weapons the centerpiece of his program. Backed by unusually strong public support from [US President Donald] Trump shortly after winning parliamentary confidence, he has stressed that ending the influence of the factions is essential to reshaping Iraq’s economy and attracting foreign investment,” the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported on June 8.
On June 10, the Kurdish media network Kurdistan24 reported that, according to Iraqi government spokesperson Haider al Aboudi, “Al-Zaidi is continuing efforts to ensure that weapons are exclusively in the hands of the state within a specified timeframe, describing the issue as one of the government’s major priorities.” The National in the United Arab Emirates noted on June 10 that Baghdad was aiming for a September deadline to disarm the militias and other groups. This is expected to coincide with the US ending its anti-Islamic State mission in Iraq.
There are challenges ahead for Baghdad as it seeks to collect weapons from various groups and individuals. Iraq’s Ministry of Defense has proceeded with collecting arms in the city of Samarra, the UAE’s Al-Ain News noted on June 6. This appeared to be an effort to collect weapons from individuals rather than militias. Iraqi President Nizar Amidi hosted a meeting on June 10 with Zaidi, Speaker of Parliament Haibet al Halbousi, and President of the Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zaidan to discuss the need to restrict weapons to state control.
Iraq continues to face several challenges and threats as the prime minister prepares to go to Washington. On June 11, Shafaq News in Iraq reported that two drones had struck a grain warehouse in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government. It was not clear who was behind the drone attack. In the past, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have used drones to attack the Kurdistan region and also target US diplomatic facilities. Iraq has also been on edge amid new US-Iran and Israel-Iran clashes in the region. For instance, the country had to close its airspace on June 7 due to the conflict.
On June 10, the US Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert due to the conflict with Iran. “Due to recent regional developments, U.S. citizens in Iraq are advised to maintain the highest levels of vigilance and awareness and to continuously monitor local news sources. Disruptions to travel or sudden airspace closures may occur without prior notice,” the embassy said. The embassy also reiterated its call for Americans not to travel to Iraq for any reason and to depart the country if they are there, continuing US warnings about Iraq since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28.
Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).
Tags: Iraq, Iraqi militias, PMF, US-Iraq
