INTERVIEW-Iraq's prime minister: Iraq can only disarm its factions when the US leaves.
Iraq has promised to put all weapons under state control, but this will not happen as long as a U.S. led coalition is in the country, which some Iraqi factions see as an occupier force, said the prime minister on Monday.
The Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stated that a plan is still in place for the multinational anti-Islamic State Coalition to leave Iraq by September 2026, as it was one of Iran’s closest Arab Allies. This is because the threat posed by islamist militant groups has diminished significantly.
There is no ISIS. Security and stability? "Thank God it's here... give me an excuse for the presence (of 86 states in a coalition)", he said in a Baghdad interview, referring the number of countries who have been a part of the coalition since its formation in 2014.
"Then there will definitely be a program that ends all arms outside state institutions." He said that this was the demand of everyone, and noted that factions would be able to join official security forces and enter politics by giving up their weapons.
SUDANI: 'NO SIDE COULD PULL IRAQ INTO WAR'
Iraq is trying to disarm Iran's backed militias despite pressure from the U.S. The U.S. has stated that it wants Sudani to dismantle the armed groups associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group consisting mainly of Shi'ite-dominated factions. The PMF, which includes several groups that are aligned to Iran, was officially integrated into Iraq's State Forces.
The U.S., Iraq and other countries have also agreed to a gradual withdrawal of American forces, with the full departure expected by 2026. Initial drawdown started in 2025.
Sudani responded to a question about the growing international pressure against non-state armed group in the Middle East such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Hezbollah is part of Iran’s Axis of Resistance, created in order to counter U.S. influence and Israeli influence.
God willing, there is still time. "The situation in Lebanon is not the same as here."
Sudani said that Iraq is clear about its positions to maintain stability and security, that the state institutions are responsible for war and peace decisions and that no one can force Iraq into war or conflict.
Since Saddam Hussein was overthrown by the U.S. in 2003, Iran's Shiite power has gained a great deal of influence in Iraq. Paramilitary groups heavily armed with pro-Iranian ties wield enormous political and militaristic power.
Iraqi governments over the years have had to find a way to keep both Iran and the U.S., arch-foes, as allies. Iraq trades with Iran while the U.S. sanctions it.
Iraq's top priority is to secure major U.S. investments, as it has been facing severe economic difficulties and sectarian violence for years since 2003.
US COMPANIES ARE BECOMING MORE ACTIVE IN IRAQ SAYS SUDANI
Sudani said that there was a "clear, intensive, and qualitative entry of U.S. firms into Iraq", including the largest ever agreement with GE, for 24,000 MW, which is equivalent to all of the country's current generation capacity.
In August, Iraq and U.S. oil company Chevron (CVX.N) signed a principle agreement for a project in Nassiriya, southern Iraq. The project consists of exploration blocks as well as the development of producing oil fields.
Sudani stated that an agreement with U.S. LNG company Excelerate for the provision of LNG helped Iraq cope better with its rolling power cuts.
Sudani has praised the recent preliminary agreement with ExxonMobil. He said that the agreement was advantageous because it is the first time Iraq agrees with a multinational company to develop oilfields and export systems.
Sudani stated that U.S. companies and European firms had expressed interest in the construction of a fixed platform to import and export gas off the Grand Faw Port coast, which would be a first project.
Sudani stated that the government has set a date for 2027 as a deadline to stop all gas burning, to achieve self-sufficiency with gas supplies and to stop imports of gas from Iran.
"We import and burn 4 to 5 billion dollars of gas per year. He said that these are bad policies, and our government has found solutions for them.
Sudani said that he is going to win the Iraqi elections on November 11, despite running against political parties from his ruling coalition. Analysts consider him to be the frontrunner.
He said that he expected a "significant victory" and added that he wanted to serve a second term. "We want to continue on this path."
Sudani believes that this year's election will see a greater turnout than the last year's parliamentary elections, where there was a drop from around 80% in two decades.
SUDANI CAMPAIGNS IRAQ'S BUILDER IN CHIEF
His campaign posters were strategically placed at key construction sites in Baghdad, including the new dual carriageway along the Tigris, located in the heart of the capital.
He lists the 2,582 incomplete projects that he received from previous governments and says he only spent a fraction to complete them.
Many Iraqis are happy with the new roads, buildings, and bridges that have been built, which have helped to alleviate some of the traffic congestion in the city.
It has cost a lot.
The budget for Sudan's three years was the biggest in Iraqi history, at more than $150 billion per year.
He also hired around 1 million people into the state bureaucracy that was already bloated, buying social security at the price of severely restricting the government's financial room for maneuver.
"I do not worry about Iraq's economic and financial situation. "Iraq is a wealthy country with many natural resources, but I fear that reforms are being delayed," he stated. (Reporting and editing by William Maclean, Ahmed Rasheed and Timour Azhari)
(source: Reuters)