US envoy Barrack meets Iraq PM, pushes new direction in bilateral ties

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Tom Barrack has visited Baghdad for crucial discussions with Iraqi leadership, aiming to chart a new course for bilateral relations. Barrack met with Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on June 15, emphasizing President Trump's support for the prime minister's government and a shared vision for a strong, mutually beneficial partnership.

The meetings addressed key areas including security, the role of militias, and economic cooperation. With Prime Minister al-Zaidi preparing for a trip to Washington in July, the discussions also focused on encouraging Iraq to rein in Iranian-backed militias. Barrack, who now unifies the U.S. envoy roles for both Syria and Iraq, is positioned as a significant diplomat in the region.

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happy and honored to be back in Baghdad, meeting with our great US Embassy team led by Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris. Today I will meet with Prime Minister Al-Zaidi to convey President Trump’s support for his government, and discuss our partnership on a new direction for a strong and mutually beneficial US-Iraq relationship.

Both Iraq and Syria are navigating transitions, and the U.S. expresses a desire for their success and partnership. The envoy reiterated the commitment to a strong U.S.-Iraq partnership that fulfills Iraqi aspirations for sovereignty, security, and prosperity, while also delivering tangible benefits for both nations. The U.S. State Department highlighted the shared vision for an Iraqi government that builds a brighter future free from terrorism.

Discussions also centered on Iraq's plans for disarmament and disbandment of armed groups operating outside state authority. The goal is to ensure weapons remain under state control and to assert full sovereignty, keeping Iraq away from conflict and preventing its territory from being used to threaten regional peace. The urgency of these matters was underscored during Barrack and al-Zaidi's meeting.

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the shared aspirational vision for the Iraqi government to build a brighter future free from terrorism, to implement Iraqi plans for ensuring the complete disarmament and disbandment of all armed groups and formations operating outside the authority and control of the Iraqi state, to ensure the confinement of their weapons within the authority of the Iraqi state, and to assert full sovereignty in order to keep Iraq away from conflict and ensure that Iraqi territory cannot be used by any side to threaten regional peace.