Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will travel to Tehran on Thursday at the head of a senior government delegation for talks with top Iranian officials on energy, trade, transportation and agriculture. The Iraqi government said the issue of bringing all weapons under state control would not be on the agenda, calling it “an Iraqi sovereign matter.” The visit comes less than a week after al-Zaidi traveled to the United States, as Baghdad steps up diplomacy with regional and international partners while trying to balance its ties with Washington and Tehran amid mounting regional tensions. Government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said on Wednesday that the visit followed an official invitation from the Iranian president and that al-Zaidi would be accompanied by a senior delegation. Talks will cover energy, trade, transportation and agriculture, he said, adding that gas would also be discussed “in line with Iraq’s interests.” Al-Aboudi did not mention any security or military issues on the agenda. Instead, he said, “bringing weapons under state control is an Iraqi sovereign matter that is not discussed in other capitals.” He described the issue as “a national decision” and a priority in al-Zaidi’s government program. Local reports had cited informed sources as saying al-Zaidi might ask Iran to pressure armed factions to hand over missiles and drones and close what the government calls the file of “uncontrolled weapons” before a Baghdad deadline at the end of September. But the government’s comments on Wednesday ruled out discussing the issue with Iranian officials. Al-Aboudi said bringing weapons under state control remained an internal Iraqi matter and would not be discussed with any country. The issue has been one of al-Zaidi’s main pledges since his government took office. Baghdad says all weapons must come under the authority of the state and its official institutions, while the matter should be handled through legal channels and dialogue to preserve domestic stability. Experts voice doubts Observers remain skeptical that the government can bring the factions’ weapons under its control. Researcher Saif al-Saadi told Asharq Al-Awsat that some factions had agreed to the move as “a temporary tactic to avoid confrontation with the US administration.” “Bringing weapons under state control cannot be achieved through an announcement by one faction or another,” he said. “It requires taking control of the weapons, cataloging them and then restructuring the brigades and regiments so they do not remain a single unified body.” Academic Abbas Abboud told Asharq Al-Awsat that it was difficult to foresee armed clashes between the state and the factions over the dismantling of their weapons networks. He said the government would continue to rely on “dialogue as a possible means of bringing weapons under state control.” In a related development, al-Aboudi said Iraq was carrying a diplomatic initiative in its foreign engagements to address rapidly unfolding regional developments as the war between the United States and Iran widens again. Al-Zaidi said in an interview with The Atlantic that he had proposed to US President Donald Trump that he delay retaliation against Iran over the killing of US soldiers in Iraq and Jordan. Baghdad has sought in recent months to keep Iraq out of regional conflicts by drawing on its ties with rival powers. The government says Iraq’s stability depends on easing regional tensions, preventing the country from becoming an arena for settling scores and pursuing negotiations as “the most appropriate way to address the dangerous consequences for the region and the world.”
