The statement issued by the US State Department following a closed-door meeting between US Presidential Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Baghdad on Monday appeared as a series of political, economic and security conditions that the Iraqi government must meet in exchange for US support and to avoid what one official described as "major sanctions".
The statement was loaded with broad conditions, beginning with an emphasis on disarming armed factions and using terms for the first time, such as dissolving armed groups and formations, and proposing to prevent threats to regional countries originating from Iraqi territory.
It concluded with what resembled directives regarding the entry of US companies into Iraq, foremost among them the project to rehabilitate the Kirkuk-Baniyas oil export pipeline to the Syrian port of Baniyas.
The pipeline has been out of service since the early 1980s, with the statement stressing exclusive implementation rights for US companies.
The US statement, which was republished by the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi with wording identical to the US version, constitutes an unprecedented development.
Previous Iraqi governments had routinely presented a different narrative, softened language, or omitted specific points that appeared in US statements after meetings with US officials, particularly those related to US pressure or conditions.
The statement contained three sections written in direct and explicit language.
The first called on the government to "implement plans for complete disarmament, dissolve all armed groups and formations operating outside the authority and control of the Iraqi state, restrict weapons to the Iraqi state, and impose full sovereignty to ensure Iraq remains removed from conflicts and that its territory is not used by any party to threaten regional peace". Disarmament is a US priority Phrases such as "complete disarmament", "dissolve all armed groups and formations outside the authority and control of the state", and "full sovereignty" underscored the US position on disarmament and the complete elimination of the armed structures through which factions currently operate.
The language also signalled a refusal to recognise the "separation" measures announced by several factions.
The reference to state "control" is understood as targeting areas and towns effectively controlled by armed groups.
Areas such as Jurf al-Sakhar, al-Awja, al-Owaysat, and other locations in northern, western, and central Iraq are among the places where factional presence has led to recurring crises.
The statement also referred to the "urgent need for the full completion of these efforts", indicating a US desire to accelerate these measures and suggesting that Iraq faces a specific timeframe for implementation.
While announcing an official invitation for Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to visit the White House in mid-July, the statement revealed the "completion of the operating licence for Starlink to provide world-class internet services to Iraqi consumers".
Former Communications Minister Hiyam al-Yasiri had postponed two licence applications from the company in 2023 and 2024 for undisclosed reasons.
The statement also announced the start of negotiations with Chevron to develop the West Qurna-2 and Nasiriyah oil fields in Basra and Dhi Qar provinces in southern Iraq.
It further confirmed approval for US companies HKN, Western Zagros, and Hunt to enter Iraq and operate in the energy sector.
In addition, it highlighted a major electricity project by US company Excelerate Energy, which has not previously operated in Iraq's energy sector.
The project in Basra province includes the construction of a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Khor al-Zubair, representing a direct challenge to Iranian gas imports, which Iraq currently receives via pipelines under annual contracts worth up to $4 billion.
What may be considered the second most significant section of the statement was the announcement that a memorandum of understanding would be signed with US firm TI Capital to rehabilitate the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline, the Iraq-Syria oil pipeline that has been inactive since the 1980s, which the statement described as a "vital route for oil exports".
The move is viewed within a broader political context and as part of efforts increasingly referred to as " decoupling from Iran ". US Special Envoy Tom Barrack commented on the joint statement after its release, writing on X, "Another epic chapter in President Trump's Middle East strategy."
Regarding the development, an Iraqi official in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers told The New Arab that the prime minister would meet Shia political forces within the Coordination Framework to brief them on the outcomes of the meeting with Tom Barrack.
In a written response to The New Arab , the official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorised to speak publicly, said, "The joint statement was agreed upon in its entirety. It serves as a roadmap, or an agreement, in exchange for Iraq avoiding major sanctions that could target it if these decisions are not implemented."
The official also said that "the government will face major problems regarding the weapons file and ending the current armed structures if it does not secure support from Shia political forces and Najaf", in a reference to cleric Ali al-Sistani.
He considered scheduling the Washington visit for the middle of next month to effectively give the government one month to take practical steps regarding the factions and their activities before meeting US President Donald Trump.
The statement did not specify whether the factions targeted for dismantlement and disarmament included the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) as a whole, which Baghdad treats as an auxiliary force under legislation passed by parliament in 2016, or individual factions that also maintain representation within the PMF.
Notably, Barrack's visit to Iraq was not conducted alone. According to the same source, he was accompanied by officials from the US Treasury, State and Justice Departments.
The source described the visit as that of a US team dealing with Iraq rather than that of a single envoy.
For his part, Coordination Framework MP Mohammed al-Saadi described the meeting to The New Arab as "negotiations".
He added that his coalition was waiting for al-Zaidi to present the details of these negotiations and clarify what America wants from Iraq, arguing that "the idea of endless concessions is unacceptable".
Al-Saadi expected the prime minister to move quickly to fill the vacant defence and interior minister posts before travelling to Washington, while maintaining the current lack of factional representation in his government.
Government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that al-Zaidi's anticipated visit would take place in mid-July to "strengthen the Iraqi-American partnership".
He said that "within the framework of flexible management of current developments, the Iraqi government is proceeding with efforts to address the issue of unregulated weapons and to restrict their possession and use to the state and its competent institutions, which are constitutionally authorised to make sovereign decisions in this field".
Barrack's current visit to Iraq also includes meetings with Kurdish leaders in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah to discuss the stalled formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government, which has remained unresolved for nearly a year because of disputes between the two main Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, according to Iraqi political sources in Baghdad.
In this context, Barrack met Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday, 16 June. Shielding Iraq from sanctions and crises Ali al-Saray, a member of the political advisory committee of the Coordination Framework, told The New Arab that the alliance had authorised the prime minister to proceed with measures that serve Iraq's interests and protect it from sanctions or external crises.
He noted that there is agreement with al-Zaidi on foreign policy files, including how to deal with the current phase, given that Iraq is part of the region and directly affected by events.
Meanwhile, Ihsan al-Shammari, head of the Political Thinking Centre in Baghdad, told The New Arab that "the statement amounts to a US declaration of a project to dismantle the factional system in Iraq, not only in terms of weapons, but also in terms of the economic networks of these factions and their presence within the state under their current structures".
He argued that the statement "revealed a notable level of rapprochement between Washington and the new government in Baghdad after relations experienced stagnation during the government of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ".
He added that "the emphasis on dismantling the parallel weapons system outside the state and preventing Iraqi territory from being used to target neighbouring countries , particularly the Gulf states, is a US priority .
"The Trump administration wants Iraq to become part of a Middle East framework that is distant from Iran," he concluded. "What the United States is seeking is the end of Iranian influence, the disentanglement of Iraq from Iran, and an Iraq whose geography does not pose a threat." Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here .