Trump praises ‘handsome’ al-Zaidi while Iraq’s PM reaffirms US troop withdrawal in September

New ties, and no armed militias

The Iraqi prime minister told reporters that his visit to Washington “is an announcement of a new economic partnership”, stressing that he spoke with Trump about the September 30 time frame for US troops to leave Iraq.

“On the 30th of September the US forces will leave Iraq while American companies will enter Iraq. Our relationship is now based on economic cooperation, not military relations. I bring greetings from the oldest civilisation in the world to the economic and technological heart of the region,” he said.

Asked by reporters whether he was considering pulling Iraq from the oil producer group OPEC,al-Zaidi said, “Iraq is one of the founding members of OPEC… Our right is to receive a fair share for Iraq.“

Al-Zaidi emphasised that Iraq’s fight against Daesh has incurred immense costs and devastated the nation’s infrastructure.

“The damage suffered by Iraq exceeds $400 billion, and to this day some Iraqis still have destroyed homes and are living in camps. I have a plan to return them to their homes, and that is why I want a fair share for Iraq in OPEC,” he added.

The Iraqi prime minister also reiterated that restricting the possession of weapons exclusively to state institutions is a core and non-negotiable element of his government’s programme, describing the policy as a firm decision rather than an option.

PM al-Zaidi said that there will be no justification for the continued existence of any faction after the September 30 deadline, noting that armed factions“are neither a necessity nor a profession.“

“After the 30th of September, we will never accept any entity carrying weapons outside the control of the state,” the Iraqi premier added.