US vetoes armed faction participation in Iraq’s new government
Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Washington
US President Donald Trump's administration has told Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi that armed factions should not participate in Iraq's next government even if they relinquish their weapons, a political source informed Shafaq News on Sunday.
Washington warned that appointing armed factions or figures representing them to ministerial posts or senior government positions would face US and broader Western opposition and could lead to a political and administrative rupture with the ministries concerned, with potential repercussions for Baghdad's relations with those states.
Al-Zaidi subsequently relayed the message to political forces involved in government formation talks, particularly within the Shiite Coordination Framework, parliament's largest bloc with 162 of 329 seats, where discussions are now underway over what the source described as a "new US veto" on the participation of armed factions in the next cabinet.
Some political parties were considering granting ministerial posts to factions expected to announce the surrender of their weapons in the coming days, including Asaib Ahl Al-Haq. However, the latest US message prompted a reassessment of their options amid growing international pressure, although Washington's position previously focused only on preventing the participation of armed factions that had not disarmed, while also seeking an end to state funding for some armed formations.
Read more: Is Iraq closed to restricting weapons to the state?
The Iraqi PM is now expected to hold expanded talks with security officials and representatives of factions that have announced their readiness to hand over weapons to the state, including Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, to discuss disarmament mechanisms, fighter integration and the guarantees sought by the groups.
Read more: Iraq PM race stuck between largest bloc dispute and US pressure
