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Arab World

Iraq Makes First Official Contact with New Syrian Administration

Head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa shakes hands with Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) head Hamid Al-Shatri on the day of their meeting in Damascus, Syria December 26, 2024. (Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham/Handout via Reuters)
Head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa shakes hands with Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) head Hamid Al-Shatri on the day of their meeting in Damascus, Syria December 26, 2024. (Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham/Handout via Reuters)
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Iraq Makes First Official Contact with New Syrian Administration

Head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa shakes hands with Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) head Hamid Al-Shatri on the day of their meeting in Damascus, Syria December 26, 2024. (Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham/Handout via Reuters)
Head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa shakes hands with Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) head Hamid Al-Shatri on the day of their meeting in Damascus, Syria December 26, 2024. (Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham/Handout via Reuters)

Head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa received in Damascus on Thursday Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) Head Hamid Al-Shatri, who was on his first foreign visit since assuming his post less than a week ago.

They discussed developments in Syria and the need for security and stability along their shared 600 km border, Iraq's state news agency reported.

Iraqi observers underscored the importance of the visit given the common files shared between the two neighbors, as well as mainly Iraqi Shiite political concerns over the sudden change in Syria.

The Baghdad government had stressed after the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month the need to respect the “free will” of the Syrian people.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said his country “is not opposed to communicating with the new administration in Syria as long as it sought Syria and the region’s stability.”

A member of the Iraqi delegation visiting Damascus on Thursday said officials stressed to Syrian authorities the need to be wary of armed groups that may exploit the security vacuum to launch attacks against Iraq and other regions, reported AFP.

“Iraq is seeking assurances from Syria about border issues and security inside Syria itself,” he added, while emphasizing the need for all parties to refrain from meddling in Syria’s internal affairs.

A “senior source” in Baghdad said the Syrian administration expressed its understanding of Iraq’s concerns, reported Iraq’s state news agency (INA).

Discussions tackled ensuring security at jails that are holding ISIS detainees, it revealed. Officials also tackled cooperation that would prevent the resurgence of ISIS, as well as demands related to protecting minorities and religious shrines.

Sudani had last week called on the new authorities in Damascus to provide assurances about its political process that “would not exclude any party.”

Iraqi former PM Haidar al-Malla told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Iraqi delegation’s visit “is a step in the right direction.”

He underlined the importance of holding direct dialogue with the new Syrian leadership, adding that Shatri was the best choice for heading the delegation given his political and security roles.

“Syria is at the heart of the world and it is an important country in the region. We share borders stretching more than 600 kms, so Iraq and Syria’s security are indivisible,” he remarked.

Iraq had notably sentenced Sharaa to death - when he was known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani – on charges of “terrorism and killing Iraqis” when he was a member of ISIS. He defected soon after and formed the al-Nusra Front in Syria that would later become the HTS.

On the sentence, legal expert Ali al-Tamimi said it will continue to stand until it is annulled by the judiciary.

The sentence has no impact at the moment because Iraq is now dealing with the policy of an entire state, not just members of armed groups, he explained.

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Arab World

Iraq Arrests 38 Politicians and Government Officials in Green Zone Raids

A circulating image shows Iraqi Humvees at an entrance to the Green Zone at dawn Sunday
A circulating image shows Iraqi Humvees at an entrance to the Green Zone at dawn Sunday
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Iraq Arrests 38 Politicians and Government Officials in Green Zone Raids

A circulating image shows Iraqi Humvees at an entrance to the Green Zone at dawn Sunday
A circulating image shows Iraqi Humvees at an entrance to the Green Zone at dawn Sunday

Iraqi security forces arrested politicians, lawmakers and senior government officials early on Sunday after Elite Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) units raided their homes inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The newspaper quoted an Iraqi official as saying that the number of detainees has reached 38.

The security sources said that the heaquarters of Midland Oil Company south of Baghdad were raided too.

A senior source quoted by ⁠state news ⁠agency INA said that some of the latest arrests were based on testimony provided by Adnan al-Jumaili, deputy oil minister for refining affairs, after his detention on corruption charges.

The source told INA that al-Jumaili's statements implicated a wider network of officials in alleged corruption schemes.

 

Iraqi security personnel are seen near a house in the Green Zone at dawn Sunday (X)

Sunday's operation was launched on direct orders from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, a government official told Asharq Al-Awsat.

An Iraqi official said earlier that an official statement will be made about the ⁠arrests.

Arab World

Iraq’s PM Sends Positive Signals Ahead of Trump Meeting

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi during his meeting with Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadeq in Baghdad (Government media)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi during his meeting with Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadeq in Baghdad (Government media)
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Iraq’s PM Sends Positive Signals Ahead of Trump Meeting

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi during his meeting with Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadeq in Baghdad (Government media)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi during his meeting with Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadeq in Baghdad (Government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has been sending positive signals to Washington ahead of a planned mid-July visit, as analysts say his government is trying to reorganize ties with the United States based on an economic and security partnership while preserving relations with Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had recently received good and constructive signals from the Iraqi government on armed factions, in a reference to efforts to place weapons under state control and disarm armed groups.

In his latest remarks carried by state media, al-Zaidi urged armed factions to “preserve their history after contributing to the fight against terrorism, and to work through the state,” renewing his government’s rejection of “weapons outside official institutions.”

Al-Zaidi said his government sought a “strong economic partnership” with the US, while stressing that Baghdad’s ties with Tehran were “based on good neighborliness, respect and common interests, as is our relationship with all countries of the region.”

“Iraq does not accept dictates from any party, and the decision will always be made according to the interests of Iraqis first,” he said, adding that his government’s strategic direction was built on “a strong partnership with the US, starting from Iraq’s interest, and not at the expense of any other party.”

He said Iraq “does not follow a policy of blocs or hostility, and wants to be a space for communication and stability, not an arena for conflict,” in a reference to US-Iranian competition in Iraq.

On Iraq’s regional ties, al-Zaidi said the “Gulf Arab states represent a historical, cultural and social depth and a source of strength for Iraq.”

Balancing Iran

Al-Zaidi’s expected visit to Washington comes as Baghdad seeks to reshape its relationship with the US while maintaining balanced ties with Iran, amid regional shifts that followed this year’s Israel-Iran war.

Iraqi researcher Muhanad Seloom said al-Zaidi “is clearly seeking a strong partnership with the US at all levels,” calling the approach “good.”

Seloom said there was popular support for fighting corruption and restricting weapons to the state, giving the government the basic tools to move ahead despite the complexity of the issue of militias.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Seloom described Iranian as “negative.” He added that it was not in Iraq’s interest to enter into hostility with Iran, and that the US understood the special nature of Baghdad’s relationship with Tehran.

The ‘project to eliminate militias’

Political science professor Talib Muhammed Karim said al-Zaidi “is not going to Washington carrying a project to eliminate militias in the military sense, but rather a project to strengthen the state and restore its legitimate monopoly over the use of force.”

Karim told Asharq Al-Awsat that the wager was to build an internal consensus, backed by regional and international support, that would allow weapons to be gradually restricted to the state under the law.

He said Iranian influence was not confined to the security sphere, but extended to political, economic and social ties built up over more than two decades.

Reducing that influence, he said, would not come through a political decision or external pressure alone, but through stronger Iraqi state institutions, a more diversified economy and broader Arab and international partnerships. That, he said, would automatically reduce the impact of any outside influence.

Karim said the success of the Washington visit “will not be measured by whether there is a confrontation with armed factions,” but by Iraq’s ability to secure US and international backing for the state project, attract investment, strengthen the economy and expand security cooperation in ways that reinforce state sovereignty.

A shifting US view

Political science professor Abbas Abboud Salem offered a different reading, saying Iraq’s political system “cannot be reduced to the will of one person.” The post-2003 political scene, he said, is built on multiple competing political forces.

Salem told Asharq Al-Awsat that the silence of these forces does not mean they have given al-Zaidi a mandate to radically change Iraq’s policy.

What has changed most, he said, is the US view of Iraq. According to Salem, Washington moved from direct occupation to managing Iraq after the withdrawal as a zone of influence balanced with Iran, and then to seeking a return through direct influence amid regional geopolitical shifts.

Salem said these shifts were pushing Iraq to rebuild its alliance with the US in response to regional challenges and to reduce losses as the regional order is being reshaped.

Arab World

Hezbollah Links Ceasefire Stance to Iran Track

Hezbollah supporters wave flags during a march marking Ashura in Beirut’s southern suburbs (EPA)
Hezbollah supporters wave flags during a march marking Ashura in Beirut’s southern suburbs (EPA)
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Hezbollah Links Ceasefire Stance to Iran Track

Hezbollah supporters wave flags during a march marking Ashura in Beirut’s southern suburbs (EPA)
Hezbollah supporters wave flags during a march marking Ashura in Beirut’s southern suburbs (EPA)

Israeli escalation in southern Lebanon has slowed, but not stopped, as Hezbollah seeks to cement a two-track position: declaring commitment to the ceasefire while documenting Israeli violations.

The latest came Saturday, when Israel struck the outskirts of Nabatieh. The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah members who had approached its positions.

Despite continued Israeli strikes in the South and drone flights over Beirut’s southern suburbs, Hezbollah said after a strike near Zawtar al-Sharqiya that it remained committed to the ceasefire. It called the Israeli army’s actions a “flagrant violation” of the agreement and said it was documenting all Israeli breaches.

Hezbollah part of the Iranian track

Political writer Harith Suleiman said Hezbollah’s insistence that it remains committed to the ceasefire, while documenting Israeli violations, “does not reflect a position within the Lebanese track, but falls within the framework of understandings underway between Iran and the United States.”

He said the group was acting as part of that track.

“Hezbollah wants Iran, not Lebanon, to negotiate on its behalf,” Suleiman told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“It is trying to make Lebanon part of the negotiations between Iran and the United States, and to present the ceasefire as part of an understanding between America, Israel and Iran, not as part of the Lebanese track.”

“When Hezbollah says it is committed to the ceasefire while Israel is violating it, it is effectively sending a message to Iran. It is saying: The agreement we are part of is being violated, and you, together with the United States and Israel, must act. That is why Hezbollah is part of the Iranian track, not the Lebanese track.”

Commitment tied to Iran talks

Suleiman said Hezbollah’s documentation of violations, coupled with its repeated commitment to calm, pointed to the continued existence of negotiation channels between Tehran and Washington.

“As long as negotiations between the Americans and Iranians are going well, Iran does not need Hezbollah to create a problem to improve its negotiating position. That is why Hezbollah is committed to calm and to the agreement. But if Iran decides to open a front or create a crisis, Hezbollah will be ready to move in that direction.”

Asked about the Hezbollah secretary-general’s Ashura speech, Suleiman said: “There is a difference between ideological rhetoric and operational conduct. Deals and understandings are built on practical steps, not slogans or ideological positions. What determines the actual course is what happens on the ground, and that remains tied to what Iran wants and decides.”

Hezbollah abides by what Iran agrees to

Retired Brig. Gen. Yarub Sakher said Hezbollah’s stated commitment to the ceasefire, alongside its documentation of Israeli violations, showed that its decision was tied more to Iranian understandings than to the Lebanese-Israeli negotiation track.

“When Hezbollah says it is committed to the ceasefire, it is sending a clear message that it abides by what Iran agrees to,” Sakher told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“During negotiations with the United States in Switzerland, Tehran reached an understanding to halt military operations and attacks on different fronts, including the Lebanese front. That is why Hezbollah is declaring its commitment to this track.”

“This position is not tied to the ongoing Lebanese-US-Israeli negotiations, which may lead to consolidating the ceasefire or to later security arrangements. It is meant to entrench the Iranian view.”

Documenting violations: building a case for escalation

Sakher said Hezbollah’s announcement that it was documenting Israeli violations “does not change the reality, because these violations are documented daily by the Lebanese state and the Lebanese army, and are also monitored by surveillance systems and satellites.”

“The documentation itself is not new, but it carries political significance.”

“Hezbollah is using this documentation to build a narrative it can use later if Iran decides to reopen the front. It would then say it showed strategic patience for a long time, documented the violations and remained committed to the ceasefire before justifying any new escalation.”

“This is exactly what it did before the latest confrontation, when it spoke of months of restraint before moving to military action.”

“There are Lebanese forces influenced by Hezbollah’s position that are betting on a US-Iranian understanding and, in practice, trying to give that track precedence over the Lebanese negotiation track.”

“At the same time, the US administration is treating the separation between the two files with a degree of political oversimplification, despite attempts by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address this gap.”