Saudi-Iraqi security and military talks focused on border control and intelligence cooperation
The office of Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ali al-Allousi, held talks on Thursday with a “Saudi security and military delegation to coordinate border control and intelligence cooperation,” during which participants affirmed “the mutual commitment to consolidating and developing security mechanisms to positively impact the security and stability of the two brotherly countries,” according to Iraq’s Security Media Cell.
The office stated in a press release that the two sides held an “expanded meeting attended by First Lieutenant General Abdul Amir al-Shamri, Director of the Commander-in-Chief’s Office, and the head of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, along with deputies and directors of security and intelligence agencies,” as a continuation of previous discussions and dialogues held in Riyadh, and to maintain ongoing security coordination between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The talks focused on strengthening measures to secure the shared border and intensifying intelligence information exchange, contributing to enhancing bilateral cooperation.
A high-level Iraqi security delegation had visited the Kingdom earlier this month to discuss various security files and common issues.
In a separate development, Mazhar al-Naji, the representative of the Religious Authority in Basra, stated that armed factions “do not respond to the orders of the Religious Authority or state directives,” affirming that these factions lack popular mandate to represent Iraq, and rejecting comparisons to the “Popular Mobilization Forces” (Hashd al-Shaabi).
Al-Naji, who serves as the official representative of the Supreme Religious Authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, expressed his support for disarming armed factions, emphasizing that “the existence and formation of the Hashd differs from factions operating outside the state framework.”
For his part, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah al-Nu’man, affirmed “the government’s commitment to regulating and monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state, bringing them under the state’s legitimate umbrella and its security institutions.”
He clarified that there is “a specialized committee and open dialogues to regulate weapons in a manner that preserves them,” noting that this demand is “sovereign,” and stressing, “we will not allow the revival of sectarian discourse or the spread of malicious rumors.”
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, Yahya Rasool, pointed to directives from al-Allousi prioritizing the arming of the air defense forces, aiming to enhance the capabilities of the Armed Forces and raise their readiness to face security challenges and protect Iraqi airspace.
Head of the Security Media Cell, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, noted that security agencies “monitor all those engaging in hate speech and hold them accountable according to the law,” while National Security spokesperson Arshad al-Hakim revealed the arrest of three suspects and the thwarting of an attempt to manufacture drones inside Baghdad.
On another front, al-Allousi received in Baghdad Hassan Rashad, head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, who conveyed a written message from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, “praising the depth of strategic relations and expressing his constant readiness to support efforts to realize the aspirations of both peoples in various fields.”
According to al-Allousi’s office, the message “included an official invitation to the Prime Minister to visit Egypt, stemming from the shared commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation, safeguarding the interests of both countries, and strengthening regional and international peace and stability.”
He added that “a number of issues and files of common interest were discussed, with emphasis on the importance of coordinating positions and exchanging information and expertise, to enhance bilateral interests and mutual benefit for the two brotherly peoples.”
