Iraq proceeds with arms inventory... Qalibaf announces support for Al-Abadi government's path

On the second day of his sensitive visit to Baghdad, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf met today with Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassim al-Aboudi, discussing the latest developments in the region and ways to strengthen bilateral relations.

Al-Aboudi stated that Iraq’s stability serves the stability of the region, noting that “Prime Minister Ali al-Allawi’s government emphasizes strengthening relations with neighboring countries in particular and with the world at large, which is in the country’s interest.” The National Security Advisor added that “the Iraqi Constitution does not permit the existence of armed groups that threaten the security of other countries,” stressing that the Iraqi government is committed to monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state.

The issue of armed factions is one of the most sensitive files for the Iraqi government, as the September 30 deadline approaches, which major political forces have set as the cutoff date for consolidating weapons under official state institutions.

Upon arriving in Iraq, the Iranian Parliament Speaker posted a photo of himself with a map of the Persian Gulf showing the Strait of Hormuz and both sides of the Gulf, accompanied by the caption “Persian Gulf.” Hours later, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Heibat al-Halbousi posted a similar photo with the caption “Arab Gulf,” displaying a complete geographical map of the Gulf.

Meanwhile, the Coordination Framework held a meeting with Qalibaf at the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss Iraqi-Iranian relations, facilitate the export of Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz, address Iranian attacks on the Kurdistan Region, and keep Iraq out of the Iranian-American conflict.