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.
https://aje.news/rucung?update=4879408