Baghdad, Washington launch new security cooperation phase

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraqi and US officials have reaffirmed plans to launch a new phase of security cooperation, with ongoing talks aimed at redefining their defense partnership, according to Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for Iraq’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

In a statement on Friday, al-Numan confirmed that senior delegations held technical meetings in Baghdad on November 6 to modernize ties under the 2008 Strategic Framework Agreement—the pact that governs the long-term US military and political presence in Iraq—focusing on aligning cooperation with national priorities and boosting Iraq’s self-defense capacity.

The two sides are working toward a revised framework that preserves counterterrorism coordination and advances regional stability, while expanding support for Iraqi forces—including the Peshmerga—through training, advisory missions, and capacity-building programs.

More rounds of talks are expected in the coming months to refine long-term collaboration across military and intelligence sectors.

The negotiations come as both governments consider replacing the current framework with a broader agreement that balances Iraqi sovereignty with sustained cooperation in intelligence, logistics, and training.

Although the US remains Iraq’s primary security partner, Iraqi leaders face domestic pressure to recalibrate foreign alliances, while US officials have warned that restructuring the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) outside federal oversight could strain the partnership.

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