US Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris wrapped up his mission in Iraq with a final meeting with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, as Baghdad-Washington ties enter a new phase marked by reduced US diplomatic representation.
Harris took over after former US Ambassador Alina Romanowski, ushering in a diplomatic downgrade in a country that hosts one of Washington’s largest embassies, sprawling for nearly two kilometers along the Tigris River in Baghdad.
A statement from the prime minister’s media office described Iraq and the US as “two friendly countries.”
Harris, whom associates describe as good-humored despite his imposing physique, met most of Iraq’s leaders as his mission drew to a close. They included Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan, Hikma Movement leader Ammar al-Hakim and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Harris praised ties between Washington and Baghdad after al-Zaidi thanked him for his service during a transition in the two countries’ relationship, shaped by the US-Iranian conflict and the role of armed factions.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein also thanked Harris for helping strengthen relations between Iraq and the US, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Factions' weapons
Political circles expect former US Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin to become Washington’s new chargé d’affaires in Baghdad. Many describe him as an expert on Iraq and the wider region, particularly Iran.
Iraqi officials and experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that Baghdad-Washington ties could take a different course in the next phase, particularly as they become linked to US-Iranian relations.
“Diplomatic representation remains at a low level, indicating that the US is monitoring progress on the factions’ handover of weapons,” former Iraqi lawmaker Sajjad Salim told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Washington has no desire to offer further support to the Baghdad government after the prime minister was received at the White House,” he said.
“Despite optimism about the new prime minister and the clear support for him, Washington has concluded that the factions are not serious about handing over their weapons and are merely playing for time.”
Salim said that appointing an expert on Iranian affairs raised two issues.
“First, Iraq is one part of a more complex issue — Iran,” he said. “Second, amid this long-term war with the Iranian regime, aimed at undermining or overthrowing it, Iraq must either remain neutral or become a logistical hub supporting the war effort against Iran.”
Uncertain outlook
Kifah Mahmoud Karim, media adviser to Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani, said US institutions did not act on personal whims.
“Any US official working abroad, regardless of rank or role, operates under a predetermined plan,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Citing people close to Harris, Mahmoud said the outgoing chargé d’affaires had been “more energetic and dynamic in implementing the established policy.”
Asked about the Kurdistan Region’s dealings with US ambassadors to Iraq and Washington’s engagement with the region through them, Mahmoud said the region built its relations through the federal Foreign Ministry.
He said Baghdad-Washington ties remained fraught with uncertainty, “not so much because of changes in US policy as because of shifts in Iraqi policy toward various regional issues, particularly the conflict between the US and Iran.”
“It is not Iraq’s duty to act as Iran’s lawyer or to involve itself in a war in which it has no interest,” Mahmoud said.
“Nor is it in Iraq’s interest to have armed factions carrying out acts that the US considers aggressive and terrorist.”
Abbas Abboud Salem, a researcher and professor of political science, said the Trump administration differed from previous US administrations by nominating ambassadors from outside the State Department.
Such nominees require Senate approval, he said, and because securing that approval can be difficult, a chargé d’affaires becomes the alternative.
“But the chargé d’affaires is ultimately a professional diplomat who understands the role well,” Salem told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“The appointment of a US chargé d’affaires at this stage is extremely important because this is a different phase,” he said.
“It coincides with the withdrawal of US troops and the end of the US-led coalition’s mission. New areas of engagement are therefore expected, including the economy, energy and investment.”
On the political side of Baghdad-Washington ties, Salem said the relationship was often entrusted to US envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack “because he is directly connected to the White House and the president.”
