US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack, arrived in Baghdad on Monday, a visit that marks the highest-level of engagement from Washington since the new Iraqi government was formed last month.
Mr Barrack said in a statement on X that he was "happy and honoured to be back in Baghdad". It is his first official visit as envoy for Iraq and he is to meet Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi to convey Mr Trump’s “support for his government”.
Discussions will also focus on the ties between the two countries and a "new direction for a strong and mutually beneficial US-Iraq relationship", Mr Barrack added.
Mr Al Zaidi, 41, was nominated in late April as a compromise candidate after months of political wrangling. He has no political track record and did not take part in November's national elections. Instead, his wealth and public profile are built on a business empire that has thrived owing to lucrative government contracts. Last month, Iraq's parliament endorsed most of his cabinet members.
The visit comes weeks before Mr Al Zaidi is expected to travel to Washington for his first official trip to the US. The invitation was extended by Mr Trump during a phone call in April after the Iraqi parliament nominated Mr Al Zaidi as prime minister-designate.
Reset after months of strain
US-Iraq relations had been under increased strain after the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28 and Washington’s insistence that Baghdad take steps to curb Iran-backed armed groups in the country.
The US embassy in Baghdad this month issued a Level 4 “do not travel” advisory and urged American citizens to leave Iraq immediately owing to the risk of travel disruptions. The embassy is providing only limited consular services.
Washington has made the disarmament of Iran-backed militias a condition for resuming deeper security and economic co-operation. US officials have repeatedly said they oppose any role for militia-linked parties in Iraq’s government and want weapons placed under state authority.
Baghdad has responded by setting a deadline of the end of September for disarming pro-Iran armed groups. The date coincides with the phased withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq and the Kurdistan region that is to be completed by September this year.
Two prominent groups, Asaib Ahl Al Haq and Kataib Imam Ali, announced in June that they would hand over their weapons to the state. Other factions, including Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba, have said they will not disarm while foreign troops remain.
Mr Barrack has previously praised Baghdad’s efforts to bring weapons under state control, saying that would contribute to “the architecture of order” in Iraq.
Economic and political stakes
For Mr Al Zaidi, a former banker, the visit is a chance to secure US backing for his economic agenda. He has announced plans to bring a delegation of Iraqi business leaders to Washington to pursue joint investment in energy and infrastructure, as well as revealing plans to establish a multibillion-dollar fund backed by the Central Bank and the private sector, along with international participation.
Mr Al Zaidi has also made tackling corruption a centrepiece of his government. On Tuesday, he cancelled two high-profile infrastructure projects approved by the previous government – a Baghdad railway scheme and the $764 million expansion of Baghdad International Airport – because of corruption claims.
Mr Trump has signalled support for Mr Al Zaidi’s approach. In April, the US leader posted on Truth Social that he looked forward to a “strong, vibrant and highly productive new relationship” with Mr Al Zaidi and said he wished him success in forming a government “free from terrorism”.
