Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said the relationship with the United States will shift from a military framework to an economic partnership, and that after the withdrawal of American forces, there will be no need for armed groups to remain. His government claims that all Iran-backed militias will disarm and transfer their weapons to the state.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced on Wednesday that the strategic relationship between Baghdad and Washington is set to transform from a military-led framework into a full economic partnership. In a statement published by his office, al-Zaidi said that following the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, there will be no justification for the continued existence of armed resistance groups. His government further asserted that all Iran-backed militias operating in the country will be disarmed, with their weapons handed over to the Iraqi state.
The declaration marks the clearest signal yet from the new premier about his vision for Iraq's post-American military posture. Al-Zaidi's visit to Washington in mid-July for a White House meeting with President Donald Trump, as The Zioneer reported on June 16, is expected to formalize aspects of this transition. The shift comes amid wider regional realignments, including the winding down of the US-Iran military confrontation that began earlier this year.
It remains unverified whether all Iran-aligned factions — particularly Kata'ib Hezbollah and other hardline groups with close ties to Tehran — will comply with the disarmament order. Al-Zaidi's statement is the first such official commitment from the Iraqi government, but enforcement mechanisms and timelines have not been detailed.
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