Iraqi sources told The New Arab that relations between Baghdad and Washington are entering their most significant phase in years, as talks between the two sides shift from the international coalition mission's end in September to the preparation of a new partnership based on technical, technological, and training cooperation without a direct US troop presence.
On the sidelines of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaid i's visit to Washington and meetings with US President Donald Trump and senior US military officials, a committee was formed to determine the future shape of the security and military relationship between Iraq and the United States and to define that relationship in line with Iraqi sovereignty and its requirements.
Al-Zaidi's military spokesperson, Sabah al-Numan, said in a statement early on Wednesday that "Al-Zaidi held official talks at the US Department of War headquarters with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, which included a comprehensive review of security and military relations between Iraq and the United States".
"The talks concluded with an agreement to enhance support and cooperation in training, raise the capabilities of our armed forces across all branches, and expand technical, technological, digital and engineering cooperation in security and military applications, equipment, armaments and the preservation of sovereignty," he said.
"Following the talks, Al-Zaidi directed the formation of a committee to engage with the US side to determine the future shape of the security and military relationship between the two countries, in light of preparations for the full withdrawal of US forces operating as part of the international coalition against ISIS, whose mission will end on 30 September," al-Numan said.
"The relationship will be formulated in accordance with the requirements of Iraqi sovereignty, based on supporting the full authority of our armed forces on Iraqi territory, as they are capable of protecting Iraq on land and in the air," he added.
The formation of the committee has implications beyond an administrative measure, marking the start of work to draft a new legal and political framework for military relations between the two countries after the international coalition mission ends.
This would ensure continued cooperation without conflicting with Iraq's efforts to monopolise all weapons under state control and consolidate the country's sovereignty.
A senior Iraqi government military official in Baghdad, who requested anonymity, said that "the atmosphere surrounding the visit is highly positive, and the meetings Al-Zaidi held with US military officials reflected a shared desire to establish a new phase in bilateral relations".
"The US side expressed clear support for Al-Zaidi's efforts to place all weapons under state control, considering it a fundamental step in military cooperation," the official noted to TNA.
The official stressed that "the visit has strengthened the prospects of moving towards a more stable strategic partnership that is less dependent on a direct military presence".
US President Donald Trump said during a joint press conference with Al-Zaidi on Tuesday, 14 July, that Iran is " a major burden on Iraq , and it will soon be removed".
He also said Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi "is doing a great job and will remain prime minister for a long time".
Abdullah al-Shammari, an academic specialising in Iraqi political affairs, said the significance of the visit lies in the political momentum it has given the Iraqi government domestically, as it came after the government launched a campaign to reorganise the security sector and place all weapons under state control.
Al-Shammari told TNA that "military cooperation with Washington is fundamentally based on reforming Iraq's security institutions rather than simply maintaining traditional relations".
"There is now an opportunity to redefine the military partnership between the two countries based on capacity building, technology transfer and intelligence coordination without a direct military presence. This opens the door to what could become the most stable phase in relations between the two countries since 2003," the academic remarked.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here .