BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi said on Friday that no US troops remain in Iraq, including military advisers, and pledged to bring all weapons under state control by June 30, 2027.
Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Al-Zaidi said the complete withdrawal of foreign forces had eliminated the justification previously used by armed factions to retain their weapons.
He stressed that the government’s decision to restrict weapons to state institutions was final and irreversible.
“By June 30, 2027, there will be no weapons outside the framework of the state,” he said.
Al-Zaidi revealed that the government had reached agreements concerning weapons held by three armed factions and was negotiating with four others to complete the disarmament process.
“Iraq is a state that has factions, not factions that own a state,” he said, emphasizing the government’s determination to establish exclusive state control over weapons.
The prime minister said Iraq had previously come within days of facing international isolation, including the possible withdrawal of foreign embassies and the imposition of restrictions.
He said Western governments had believed that certain armed groups had effectively taken control of the Iraqi state, but his administration had managed to overcome the threat.
Strategic partnership with Washington
Despite the withdrawal of US troops, Al-Zaidi reaffirmed Baghdad’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with Washington.
He said Iraq had chosen the United States as a strategic partner because of its technological and economic capabilities.
According to the prime minister, US companies have already begun operating in Iraq and implementing projects in areas of bilateral cooperation.
He said closer relations with Washington, combined with the development of Iraq’s energy sector, would significantly strengthen the country’s regional and international influence.
Baghdad and Washington agreed in September 2024 on a phased withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq, with the military mission scheduled to conclude by September 2026.
On September 30, Iraq announced the conclusion of the US-led coalition’s military mission, while the Pentagon confirmed the withdrawal of coalition personnel and equipment from Erbil Air Base.
The withdrawal marked a transition from the coalition’s military campaign against ISIS (Daesh) to bilateral security cooperation, including training and intelligence sharing, according to Anadolu.
Iraq rules out involvement in regional war
Addressing regional tensions, Al-Zaidi said Iraq would not participate in any war and would continue serving as a meeting point for opposing parties.
He maintained that the regional crisis would ultimately require a negotiated settlement, regardless of how the conflict developed.
The prime minister also rejected the possibility of closing Iraq’s border with Iran, warning that such a decision would inflict significant economic damage on both countries.
“Closing the border with Iran means economically besieging ourselves,” he said.
Oil export diversification and Development Road project
Al-Zaidi said Iraq was developing a network of oil export pipelines to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz amid disruptions to maritime navigation.
He said Baghdad was seeking to reactivate the oil export route through Türkiye’s Ceyhan port while diversifying its access to international energy markets.
“The Hormuz crisis has deprived Iraq of benefiting from rising oil prices,” he said, explaining that Iraqi oil exports had fluctuated between suspension and resumption because of regional conditions.
The prime minister also announced plans to increase Iraq’s oil production capacity to 10 million barrels per day by 2032.
He described the Development Road project with Türkiye as Iraq’s “third river,” saying construction would begin following parliamentary approval of the national budget.
The project aims to establish a major transportation and logistics corridor connecting Iraq’s southern ports with Türkiye and European markets.
Source: Saudi Gazette