Advisor to PM: Government has opened dialogue with armed-factions through Coordination Framework

BAGHDAD — In an interview with Dijlah TV, Fadi Al-Shammari, political advisor to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, emphasized Iraq’s rejection of Israeli “threats” and the use of its territory as a platform for attacks.

He highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to engage armed factions through the Coordination Framework, urging them to cease actions that could destabilize the country and the region. Al-Shammari revealed that several countries, including the United States, have conveyed Israeli messages to Iraq. Al-Shammari acknowledged the U.S. role in preventing attacks on multiple occasions this year.

On November 19, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sent a letter to the UN Security Council, urging pressure on Iraq’s government to stop Iran-backed militias from carrying out attacks on Israel. Sa’ar stated, “The Government of Iraq is responsible under international law to prevent the use of its territory as a base for attacks against other nations.” Adding that, “Israel has the inherent right to self-defense […] and to take all necessary measures to protect itself and its citizens.”

Excerpts from Al-Shammari’s interview with Dijlah TV:

The trajectory of the Iraqi state regarding the Palestinian issue and the Lebanese file is clear. If breaches occur here or there, they do not represent the Iraqi state. The state has not remained passive regarding these breaches but has taken a series of security and military measures to thwart any attempts to use Iraq as a platform for launching attacks.

The Coordination Framework is the political umbrella of this government and has channels with these factions, which have a respectable point of view, though we disagree with them.

Iraq and its people, represented by the constitutional institutions, believe that the security and military path is not our arena, nor are we capable of pursuing it.

Messages have been conveyed through several countries and from the foreign minister of the occupying entity. It is clear that the content of the messages aligns with the substance of the complaint submitted to the Security Council, albeit couched in diplomatic language. Iraq categorically rejected it. The basis of their claim relied on international resolution 1554, which is entirely unrelated to the issue of using Iraq as a platform for carrying out attacks. We refuted all the claims of the entity and filed a complaint against it for issuing open and explicit threats. Iraq will not, under any circumstances, tolerate attacks against it or the use of its territory. Prior to this, Iraq had also filed a complaint about the use of its airspace to strike a neighboring country, the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is a violation of sovereignty.

The Americans did relay a series of messages from the Israelis, but we rejected them and held the Americans accountable as our partners. To be fair, however, the Americans have taken significant steps to prevent attacks on several occasions this year. This is one of the responsibilities of the partnership and agreement.

The Iraqi government opened dialogue with factions through the Coordination Framework, asking, “Brothers, where are you taking us? What is the benefit of attacking from this front towards the western front of occupied Palestine?” There is deep dialogue, and I am optimistic that this dialogue will yield results. The country has been anxious for a year.

There are indirect dialogues with armed factions through the Coordination Framework, which is the political arm of this government. It must bear its political responsibility in convincing factions to cease attacks in order to safeguard Iraq.

Any weapons outside the framework of the Interior Ministry, Defense Ministry, Popular Mobilization Forces, or Counter-Terrorism Service are outside the state’s control. There are weapons within tribes and with other groups. The statement issued by the religious authority is clear and leaves no room for interpretation or ambiguity.

The call between Sudani and Trump was very warm, with significant discussion from both sides.

The indicators are positive. Trump has announced in several speeches his intention to end the war in the region. I believe the next six months will be critical in reorganizing the region’s affairs, and Iraq, in my view, will likely avoid dark or negative scenarios.