Iran backs Iraq’s sovereignty as Baghdad seeks to bring militias under state control

Tehran: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran does not interfere in Iraq's internal affairs and will continue to support any consensus reached by Iraqi groups and officials within the framework of the country's constitution and independence, IRNA reported.

Ghalibaf said that economic cooperation between Iran and Iraq will be operationalised during the upcoming visit of an Iraqi Chamber of Commerce delegation to Iran, where it will hold discussions with chamber experts and business leaders, according to IRNA.

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Summarising his three-day visit to Iraq, Ghalibaf said discussions with Iraqi officials focused on strengthening bilateral ties and covered security, political, economic and cultural issues, adding that a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on security and border security was signed between the two countries.

He also said the meetings indicated that Iraq was moving towards the final withdrawal of foreign and coalition forces that had remained in the country for years following the occupation of its territory and airspace.

Ghalibaf said the withdrawal of foreign forces would be a significant step towards strengthening Iraq's independence and sovereignty, as reported by IRNA.

The remarks came amid Baghdad's efforts to bring all paramilitary factions under formal state security structures. According to Al Jazeera, Iraq has set a September 30 deadline for armed groups to integrate into state institutions and surrender independent arsenals.

The move to centralise weapons gained momentum after joint US-Saudi air strikes in July targeted militia positions in Iraq following drone attacks allegedly launched against Saudi oil facilities and US forces from Iraqi territory, Al Jazeera reported.

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Most of the groups affected are Shia factions, with some maintaining close ties with Iran.

Several groups, including Saraya al-Salam, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib al-Imam Ali, have indicated willingness to place their forces under official state command, while Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba have rejected complete disarmament, arguing that their weapons are needed as a resistance capability against possible foreign attacks such as those from last month, as reported by Al Jazeera.