Latest news with #Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
Asharq Al-Awsat
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Regional Shifts Loom over Larijani's Talks in Baghdad
Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani began a regional tour on Monday with a visit to Baghdad, holding talks with senior Iraqi officials and signing a memorandum of understanding on border security — though Iraq denied the deal amounted to a full security agreement. Larijani met Iraq's National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji, President Abdul Latif Rashid, and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. The visit included the signing of a memorandum to coordinate border security, which Sudani oversaw. But an Iraqi security source told Asharq al-Awsat the deal was 'only a memorandum of understanding, similar to dozens signed with other countries,' dismissing Larijani's earlier comments to Iranian media that a formal security agreement had been prepared. 'This visit is not a surprise as some outlets claimed — it was planned in advance,' the source said. The trip is Larijani's first official foreign visit since returning to his post and will be followed by a stop in Lebanon. 'We will meet many friends in Iraq from different political currents, listen to their views and share ideas for bilateral cooperation,' Larijani told Iranian media en route to Baghdad. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the 'sensitive circumstances' in the region required intensified consultations with regional states to safeguard peace and stability in West Asia. An Iraqi security source said talks also covered the security situation in the Middle East and arrangements linked to the Arbaeen pilgrimage, which has brought tens of thousands of Iranians to Iraq. A separate source told Asharq al-Awsat Larijani planned to visit the holy city of Najaf on Monday evening and could meet Grand Ali al-Sistani — though such a meeting was not certain, as Sistani declined to receive Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during his September 2024 visit. The source declined to say whether Larijani's trip aimed to ease tensions between Sudani and some armed factions after a recent exchange of statements that unsettled the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shi'ite parties and armed groups. The row coincides with the parliament's failure to pass legislation on the Popular Mobilization Forces, blamed by lawmakers on US pressure. Political analysts in Baghdad believe Larijani will meet leaders of armed factions and Coordination Framework figures in an effort to calm disputes, particularly as Iran-aligned groups face what they describe as mounting US pressure that could pave the way for Israeli strikes. 'The timing is crucial for Iran, which appears to be preparing for the possibility of renewed conflict with the United States and Israel,' said Ihsan al-Shammari, head of the Iraqi Political Thinking Center. 'Tehran is seeking to bolster alliances with friendly political forces in Baghdad as Washington pushes to dismantle armed groups and curb Iranian influence in Iraq and Lebanon.' Shammari said the visit also comes amid 'unprecedented public divisions within the Shi'ite political camp' — a development that works against Tehran's interests and may prompt it to freeze disputes for now. 'It's important for Iran, but less so for Iraq, given the US pressure to end Iranian influence,' he added. Eiyad al-Anbar, a political science professor at al-Nahrain University, said Tehran was trying to reorganize its influence in its so-called 'Axis of Resistance' states. 'Iran wants to signal it still wields strong political and security leverage in Lebanon and Iraq, where the disarmament debate is heating up,' he said. 'By linking the Popular Mobilization Forces to broader political messaging, Iran is telling the outside world: we remain powerful and must be factored into any future arrangement,' added al-Anbar.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Iraqi prime minister removes paramilitary commanders after deadly clash with police
Iraq's prime minister approved sweeping disciplinary and legal measures against senior commanders in a paramilitary force after clashes with police at a government facility that left three people dead last month, his office said Saturday. Gunmen descended on the agricultural directorate in Baghdad 's Karkh district on July 27 and clashed with federal police. The raid came after the former head of the directorate was ousted and a new one appointed. A government-commissioned investigation found that the former director — who was implicated in corruption cases — had called in members of the Kataib Hezbollah militia to stage the attack, Sabah Al-Numan, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, said in a statement Saturday. Al-Sudani, who also serves as commander in chief of the armed forces, ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the attack. Kataib Hezbollah is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mostly Shiite, Iran-backed militias that formed to fight the Islamic State extremist group as it rampaged across the country more than a decade ago. The PMF was formally placed under the control of the Iraqi military in 2016, but in practice it still operates with significant autonomy. Some groups within the coalition have periodically launched drone attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Syria. The Kataib Hezbollah fighters who staged the attack in Karkh were affiliated with the 45th and 46th Brigades of the PMF, the government statement said. Al-Sudani approved recommendations to remove the commanders of those two brigades, refer all those involved in the raid to the judiciary, and open an investigation into 'negligence in leadership and control duties' in the PMF command, it said. The report also cited structural failings within the PMF, noting the presence of formations that act outside the chain of command. The relationship between the Iraqi state and the PMF has been a point of tension with the United States as Iraq attempts to balance its relations with Washington and Tehran. The Iraqi parliament is discussing legislation that would solidify the relationship between the military and the PMF, drawing objections from Washington, which considers some of the armed groups in the coalition, including Kataib Hezbollah, to be terrorist organizations. In an interview with The Associated Press last month, Al-Sudani defended the proposed legislation, saying it's part of an effort to ensure that arms are controlled by the state. 'Security agencies must operate under laws and be subject to them and be held accountable,' he said.
