Following talks between Michael Rigas, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, and Fuad Hussein, Iraq’s foreign minister, Washington once again emphasized the necessity of dismantling militias affiliated with Iran’s regime in Iraq.
The Persian-language account of the U.S. State Department published images of the meeting and referred to earlier remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, writing that the United States “will continue to speak clearly about the need to dismantle Iran-backed militias that undermine Iraq’s sovereignty, threaten Americans and Iraqis, and loot Iraq’s resources for Iran.”
مایکل جی. ریگاس، معاون وزیر امور خارجه آمریکا در حوزهٔ مدیریت و منابع، گفتوگوهای سازندهای با فؤاد حسین، وزیر امور خارجهٔ عراق، دربارهٔ ساختن آیندهای قدرتمندتر و شکوفاتر برای آمریکاییها و عراقیها داشت. همانگونه که وزیر امور خارجه، مارکو روبیو، گفته است، ایالات متحده همچنان… https://t.co/Ws95VVhU1O pic.twitter.com/0FRKbBpuye
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These positions are being reiterated at a time when Iraq’s political developments and broader regional security concerns carry significant implications for the future of the Baghdad government and the balance of power in the Middle East. A few weeks ago, on November 11, Iraq held its parliamentary elections, but various factions have still not reached an agreement on forming the next government.
U.S. warning to Baghdad regarding militia presence in the future government
Washington had previously warned Baghdad explicitly that if any ministry in Iraq’s future government is handed to armed groups supported by Iran’s regime, the United States will not recognize that government.
U.S. support for strengthening Iraqi sovereignty and countering foreign influence
Mark Savaya, the special envoy of President Donald Trump for Iraq, stated a few days earlier in a press release that Washington supports Baghdad’s efforts to counter foreign influence, including Tehran’s influence and its proxy groups.
He emphasized the need to end the activities of armed groups operating outside the framework of the Iraqi state and said that Iraq must place all weapons under the control of the legitimate government and organize its security forces under a unified command.
The Rigas–Hussein meeting and Washington’s renewed emphasis on dismantling militias linked to Iran’s regime represent only one dimension of the United States’ current regional policy and Iraq’s internal developments. Numerous reports indicate that not only the political future of Baghdad but also regional security—and in particular the state of tensions between Iran’s regime and Israel—are increasingly tied to the role and influence of Iraqi armed groups.
Iran’s regime adopted a policy of intervention in regional countries—especially Iraq—from the outset. This policy reached its peak after the fall of Iraq’s former government, and ever since, Iraq has been a battleground between Iran’s regime and its allies on one side and the Iraqi people on the other.
