Al-Zaidi warns the coordination framework against delaying the arms inventory, and the United States confirms its commitment to the economic partnership

At a time when the United States confirmed that the economic partnership with Iraq was moving forward, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi warned the Shiite “coordinating framework forces” of the consequences of not adhering to the deadlines set for restricting weapons to the state.

On the night of Saturday-Sunday, Al-Zaidi hosted a meeting of the “Framework Forces,” during which he stressed the necessity of “resolving all files, including completing the government cabinet and the file of inventory and organization of weapons, in a way that strengthens the sovereignty of the state’s decision and the stability of security in the country and the region.”

An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Al-Zaidi also stressed the necessity of supporting the work of the Quartet Committee concerned with negotiating with the factions, to reach a final agreement to hand over weapons to the Popular Mobilization Forces, according to the agreed upon time limits.” He also reviewed the most important topics that he discussed with the US administration during his recent visit to Washington, and the economic, political and security implications for the country if this is not possible.

This warning coincides with what US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in a congratulatory telegram he sent to Al-Zaidi on the occasion of Iraqi “National Day” on October 3, in which he referred to the visit the Prime Minister made to Washington last July, and his meeting with President Donald Trump in the White House, pointing out that it “reflected the strength of the friendship between the two countries and the shared commitment to building a strong and prosperous future.”

The US Secretary of State added: “The economic partnerships announced during that visit embody the broad potential for trade and investment cooperation between American and Iraqi companies,” and welcomed “the continuing efforts made by Iraq to strengthen its sovereignty and contribute to establishing security and stability in the Middle East region.”

According to an informed source who informed Asharq Al-Awsat, “The United States understands the difficulties that Al-Zaidi faces in dealing with the forces that possess weapons, as well as the political forces, some of which are within the same (coordination framework), which seem not to be enthusiastic about this option according to the formula presented by Al-Zaidi.”

He added, “The change in the position of the Coordination Framework Forces, in terms of setting relatively long periods of time for handing over weapons, occurred after the single meeting that brought together Al-Zaidi with US President Donald Trump, without the rest of the members of the Iraqi delegation. In addition, Trump responded to Al-Zaidi’s request regarding the exception granted to Iranian planes to land at Najaf Airport.

It is noteworthy that Al-Zaidi stressed, during his speech on the occasion of “National Day,” that Iraq is a state that “owns its decisions and protects its land and sky, and its weapons are subject to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” noting that “the Iraqi state completed its sovereignty on September 30, 2026, with the end of the military mission of the (International Coalition).” He added that “political instability has caused the country to lose many development opportunities, and has caused a repeated return to zero-sum beginnings,” as he described it.

He pointed out that his government “took responsibility for protecting Iraq’s interests, security, sovereignty, and national decision-making from the repercussions of the conflict in the region,” stressing that Iraq “is pursuing a balanced foreign policy that takes into account the highest national interest, and builds its relations on the basis of mutual interests and respect.”

On the economic level, he said, “The government is working to diversify the economy, empower the private sector, link government spending to results, proceed with the initiative of one million residential plots of land, establish the Generations Fund to guarantee the future of children, establish economic cities, and implement the development path so that Iraq is a trade route, an energy corridor, an investment center, and a bridge between East and West.”

He stressed that “our responsibility is to make sovereignty a path to reform,” stressing that “with the unity of the people of Iraq and their national and social harmony, we move from confronting crises to building the future.”

In this context, political and strategic affairs researcher Hani Ashour told Asharq Al-Awsat that “after the departure of the American forces from Iraq, as well as the international coalition forces, it became necessary to restructure the security strategy in Iraq, especially with regard to restricting the factions’ weapons, and then strengthening the security services and armed forces.”

Ashour added: “It is clear that there are many problems that could complicate these files, including firstly the economic situation in Iraq after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which does not allow the government to import many weapons in order to build an armed force capable of protecting the country. Secondly, the Iraqi political forces are trying to impose a vision based on dialogue with the armed factions, which means that this dialogue may be prolonged and remain dependent on the American-Iranian conflict and its repercussions. This could constitute a new opportunity for the armed factions to express their loyalty to Iran, in addition to the return of talk about them keeping weapons to protect the country.”