As the US administration on Saturday said it supports a strong and stable Iraq “free from malign influence,” the government in Baghdad affirmed taking practical steps to diversify its energy sources, having been dependent on imported gas from Iran.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held talks Friday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on ways to activate political, security and economic cooperation. The two sides mainly discussed the issue of Iranian gas.
This is the first meeting between Iraqi and senior US officials since Donald Trump's inauguration as US president in January 2025.
According to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, Rubio and Hussein discussed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation and exchanging information to combat terrorist organizations.
It said the US Secretary of State affirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Iraq's stability and praised the joint efforts made in combating ISIS.
Iraqi politicians fear the US sanctions against Iran could include Iraqi entities and institutions. The government in Baghdad says its succeeded in distancing itself from regional tensions and therefore to build stable relations with Washington.
Energy and the Iranian Gas
After his meeting with Rubio, the Iraqi minister said: “Iraq has begun taking concrete steps toward diversifying energy sources and reducing reliance on imported gas.”
He noted that “Iraq will seek to achieve gas independence, and, within the next few years, will achieve self-sufficiency.”
According to Hussein, Baghdad is stepping up efforts to increase domestic energy production after Washington rescinded a waiver in March that allowed Iraq to import electricity from neighboring Iran.
The waiver was revoked as part of Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear and military programs.
It came despite repeated attempts by the Iraqi government to convince the US administration that finding an alternative to Iranian gas would take a long time.
Security Warnings
At the security level, Hussein stressed to his US counterpart the importance of reviewing the security warnings related to travel to Iraq, which negatively impact the entry of US companies to the country.
He noted the good security situation in Iraq and what this could represent as an additional factor attracting foreign investment.
Concerning the ISIS threats, the Iraqi minister stressed “the need to deal cautiously with the prisons under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), where approximately 10,000 of the most dangerous members of the terrorist organization ISIS are held.”
The two officials also discussed developments in the region, particularly in Syria.
Hussein stressed the importance of launching a comprehensive political process that respects the rights of all Syrian components and contributes to enhancing regional stability, noting that “Syria's stability has a positive impact on security in Iraq.”
Malign Influence
For his part, Rubio said “a strong, stable, and sovereign Iraq, free from malign influence, is vital to regional stability and the preservation of US interests and opportunities there.”
Rubio added in a post on X: “I had a valuable dialogue with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. I commend his efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote constructive dialogue in the region.”
Tammy Bruce, the US State Department spokesperson, said on Thursday that the Iraqi Foreign Minister will hold meetings with the US officials in Washington DC.
“Dr. Fuad Hussein will be here at the State Department tomorrow for various meetings. I will be in one of those meetings,” she said.
Talks on Iraq’s Finance
Also in Washington, Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami and Central Bank Governor Ali Al-Alaq held talks with senior officials from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings.
“The Finance Minister gave an explanation of the economic situation in Iraq. She also touched on the role of the World Bank in supporting reform programs to maximize revenues, decrease expenditures, in addition to advancing digitization and accelerating infrastructure, energy and environment projects,” an Iraqi government statement said.
