Play store
Iraq has proposed establishing a unified security coordination council with Iran and Saudi Arabia to rebuild trust between the regional rivals.
National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji told state TV on Sunday that the initiative aims to address what he called a “crisis of confidence” between Tehran and Riyadh.
The move follows a July 27 Saudi claim that it destroyed drones launched from Iraq targeting oil facilities, which Riyadh blamed on Iran-aligned groups. Iraq’s prime minister ordered an investigation.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia or Iran regarding the security proposal.
The Iraqi army announced on June 3 the formation of a committee tasked with bringing weapons under state control, a longstanding challenge amid the presence of armed factions operating both within and outside the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a state-sanctioned paramilitary umbrella group that includes many Iran-aligned factions.
On domestic security, al-Araji said the planned September 30 withdrawal of the US-led coalition marks a starting point for gradually bringing all weapons under state control. He called for consensus on disarming factions and separating political parties from the PMF while protecting fighters’ rights.
President Nizar Amidi said days ago that only two or three factions have yet to surrender arms, voicing hope that dialogue would resolve the “highly intertwined” issue.
