Politics
Hegseth ties US-Iraq partnership to militia disarmament as PM meets Treasury Secretary
Synthesized from2 sources
Hegseth ties US-Iraq partnership to militia disarmament as PM meets Treasury Secretary
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi that Washington wants Iraq to disarm Iran-aligned militias to strengthen bilateral ties.
- Hegseth, in a post on X, said he hosted al-Zaidi at the Pentagon and stated that Iraq must assert its sovereignty and disarm Iran-aligned militias.
- Hegseth said the militias were responsible for more than 600 attacks on US personnel this spring.
- Iraqi PM al-Zaidi told US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that his government prioritizes fighting corruption and keeping weapons solely in state hands.
- Bessent expressed US support for Iraq’s transition from military presence to investment and economic development, pledging to help implement Iraq’s economic programs.
What happened since
Washington pressures Iraq as banker-premier assumes office under tight US conditions
Iraq’s new prime minister Ali al-Zaidi met President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday, taking office after a 25-minute consensus under US financial pressure.
- The US Treasury froze Iraq’s dollar cash shipments and suspended parts of security cooperation, blocking a nearly $500 million cash shipment in April.
- Washington demands Iraq disarm all armed factions by September 30, with Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba rejecting full disarmament.
- Tom Barrack, US envoy to Turkiye, Syria, and Iraq, has pressed Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to reactivate the Kurdistan parliament and form a new cabinet.
- Chevron is negotiating an expanded role in Iraq’s oil sector, and the Iraqi government seeks to increase oil production from 4.5 to 7 million barrels per day.
Coverage
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