Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi on Tuesday reaffirmed his government's commitment to a September 30 deadline for all armed groups in his country to hand over their weapons.
His remarks came during his first meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. Mr Trump called it “a good meeting” and said the two leaders had “a tremendous chemistry”, before inviting Mr Al Zaidi to an impromptu lunch.
“We're going to have a long-term relationship with a man that will be a great leader,” the President added.
The trip is Mr Al Zaidi's first overseas visit since taking office in May. He was nominated for the post as a consensus candidate after months of political deadlock in Iraq, and has said he intends to reset Baghdad’s ties with Washington after several years in which security has dominated the relationship.
'A very difficult task'
The Trump administration has pushed Baghdad to do more to rein in the armed groups, which it says pose a threat to US troops and undermine the Iraqi government’s authority.
The Iraqi government has announced a September 30 deadline for armed groups to disarm, coinciding with the planned withdrawal of the US-led coalition.
“The programme of the government is to restrict the possession of weapons to the state. We will co-operate with those who surrender their weapons,” Mr Al Zaidi said. “Iraqi decision-making is in the hands of Iraqis only and our security forces are capable of protecting our borders. After September 30, we will not allow any entity besides the state to carry any weapons.”
Washington has made increased defence and economic co-operation conditional on progress in disarming the militias, and has opposed any role for Iran-linked factions in the Iraqi government.
But experts say the task will be difficult to achieve, let alone in such a short time.
While several militias, particularly those represented in parliament, have said they are prepared to disarm, several others might resist the move making meeting the deadline an “almost impossible in that timeline”, said Renad Mansour, senior research fellow at Chatham House.
“The Trump administration is going to be hoping for something quick and fast," he said. "The reality, as we all know it, is this is a very difficult task.”
A White House official told The National before the meeting that the US “has been clear with Iraq that it is critical that they retain their sovereignty and prevent attacks from within its borders by Iranian-backed militias”.
“We are aware that there are discussions on disarmament of some militias and will make informed decisions based on actions and measurable results,” the official added.
After his White House meeting, Mr Al Zaidi headed to the Pentagon. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that if Iraq wants to deepen its partnership with the US, it "must assert its sovereignty and disarm the Iran-aligned militias".
Mr Al Zaidi's visit also comes as Iraq deals with the fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran. Iraq has been among the countries hit hardest by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which most of the country's 3.4 million barrels a day of oil exports previously passed.
Analysts also noted that Iraq was the only country to be struck by both sides during the conflict, highlighting its precarious diplomatic position between Washington and Tehran.
And while there is a convergence of interests between Baghdad and Washington in trying to break free slightly from Iran's grip, the two sides have very different expectations over the pace of reform, experts say.
Corruption reform
During the visit, Washington was also expected to push for anti-corruption reforms.
Since taking office, Mr Al Zaidi has launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign that has led to the arrest of dozens of politicians and officials, while authorities have recovered gold bars and large sums of cash hidden in walls and drainpipes.
Corruption has been endemic in Iraq under successive governments since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Mr Al Zaidi received early support from Mr Trump, who hailed his appointment as a “tremendous new chapter” in US-Iraqi relations.
The US President had opposed the previous nominee, former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki, due to his alleged close ties to Iran and its proxies – claims Mr Al Maliki has denied.
He has also been accused by critics of deepening sectarian divisions, fuelling corruption and increasing tension with Iraq's largely Sunni Arab neighbours.
“It was very important to me to have somebody get in there that can do the job and do it well,” Mr Trump said yesterday.
Mr Trump's endorsement could strengthen Mr Al Zaidi's position but could also carry political risks at home, said Abbas Kadhim of the Atlantic Council think tank.
“The support of the US government for any Prime Minister or government in Iraq is a double-edged sword,” he said. “It will give a sense of strength that this government is not going to face the most formidable or insurmountable obstacle, which is a US veto. But also domestically, it might create some negative reactions.”
However, Mr Kadhim said, the timing of the visit favoured Mr Al Zaidi because expectations remained relatively low.
“I think they are trying to give him support to go into his term and make the progress that is required,” he said. “Right now, he doesn't have much to answer for. He just started.”
