Iraqi politician Baha Al-Araji
Media Monitor
Baha Al-Araji: PM Al-Sudani’s Iran visit focused on prior agreements and gas
BAGHDAD — Iraqi politician Baha Al-Araji dismissed media reports about Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s visit to Iran, describing them as inaccurate. “Everything being reported in the media about Al-Sudani’s visit to Iran is incorrect,” Al-Araji said in an interview with Al-Rasheed TV, adding that the visit focused on reciprocating the Iranian president’s earlier visit last year, finalizing agreements, and addressing gas issues.
Regarding the Popular Mobilization Forces, Al-Araji hailed its status as an Iraqi institution established via domestic decision-making. “No one can dissolve it,” he said, but emphasized that the issue of armed factions should be resolved internally. He also noted that factions could take steps to disband voluntarily, with the government potentially buying back their weapons.
Excerpts from Baha Al-Araji’s interview with Al-Rasheed TV:
Everything being reported in the media about Al-Sudani’s visit to Iran is incorrect. Al-Sudani went to Iran with three tasks: reciprocating the Iranian president’s visit, finalizing memoranda of understanding, and resolving the gas issue while aligning positions on regional developments.
The Popular Mobilization Forces is an Iraqi institution established by an Iraqi decision, and no one can dissolve it, despite what some dissenting voices suggest. However, there is the issue of armed factions, which must be addressed internally at the national level.
Iran has lost the battle, but the war is ongoing, and those opposing Iran in the region are the losers.
All reports about a U.S. demand to dissolve the PMF are untrue, and Al-Sudani would not accept external dictats. Even the matter of factions should not be subject to external requests but handled domestically. There is no country with armed factions unless it is occupied, and Iraq is not occupied today.
The option to integrate the PMF remains a government decision based on what the government deems appropriate. For instance, the Counter-Terrorism Service operates outside the Ministry of Defense’s authority, and the Ministry of Environment merged with the Ministry of Health despite their differences. These are government decisions, but dissolving the PMF is entirely ruled out.
Resistance factions played a crucial role during the U.S. and ISIS occupation, but now there is no longer a need for them. They can be utilized in other roles, as their continued activity concerns regional countries, not just the U.S.
It is possible to buy weapons from the factions, as the state needs arms. Weapons are widespread in Iraq, not just among factions, and drones can even be purchased in Bab Al-Sharji [an area in Baghdad].
We will not accept any external dictats regarding the dissolution of [armed] factions. This is a purely domestic matter. However, the factions themselves should take the initiative to regulate their situation to avoid putting the Iraqi state in an awkward position.
Syria is an important country for Iraq, but sometimes we exaggerate matters. Al-Jolani was the one afraid of Iraq, not the other way around. We have the PMF that “intimidates the whole world,” and we have two million fighters, including police, army, and PMF. Meanwhile, all fighters in Syria do not exceed 30,000–40,000. However, we should not interfere with the Syrian people’s choices.
The problem lies with us, not with Trump. Instead of fear, we must work to create appropriate and reassuring conditions in light of regional changes. When Trump takes office, you will see him cooperate with Iraq. His main concerns are China, Ukraine, and domestic U.S. issues, and there will be a deal between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the U.S.
There are entities that want the Iraqi people to remain in constant fear. Trump in 2025 will be different from Trump in 2016, as every administration has different priorities.
The Islamic Republic used to interfere in Iraqi affairs, and this cannot be denied. However, this is no longer the case today. We must convince the world that our decisions are Iraqi and national. Nonetheless, just as Iran supported us, we must support it in turn.
Al-Sudani has adopted a policy of non-alignment and succeeded in implementing it. We have strong relations with Iran and important ties with the U.S., which we should further develop.
The [Shia] Coordination Framework authorized Al-Sudani to handle the Syrian crisis.
Iraq is now a pivotal state in the region. The government is working to convey messages between Iran, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia. This is a positive development, considering we used to plead with other countries to have our voice heard.