Iraq Committed to Staying Out of War, President Says

Iraqi Presidency

Iraqi President Nizar Amedi.

Iraqi President Nizar Amedi said on Saturday that the country remains committed to avoiding involvement in the war, stressing that Iraq’s decisions are national and guided by its own interests. He also said the formation of the new Cabinet is nearing completion.

Speaking during a dialogue session at the Eighth Baghdad Dialogue Conference, the President said Iraq had fulfilled its three constitutional obligations and that there was a determination to complete the Cabinet formation soon.

He said the current government was working to address the country’s security and economic challenges, adding that it had begun resolving outstanding issues while placing greater emphasis on the economy. “Everyone is in the same boat as Iraq, and the government is at the helm,” he said.

The Iraqi Parliament previously approved 14 of 23 ministers in May 2026 following late 2025 elections, and political blocs are moving to fill the remaining posts.

On regional developments, President Amedi said Iraq was affected by its regional surroundings but would act according to its national interests. He reiterated that Baghdad was determined to prevent the country from being drawn into the war, noting that Iraq is among the countries most affected by its repercussions.

He said Iraq speaks openly with all countries and stressed that “Iraq comes first”. He also said Baghdad had conveyed messages to Iran about reviewing bilateral relations during discussions with the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament.

On weapons control, the President said the Constitution stipulates that arms must be held exclusively by the state, a position also supported by the religious authority in Najaf. He stressed the importance of dialogue and understanding with armed factions to reach a national Iraqi solution.

He acknowledged that armed factions had fought against ISIS and made sacrifices, but said they were now required to hand over their weapons and integrate into the security forces. He rejected claims that any Iranian official had asked for the weapons-control process to be delayed, saying Iranian officials had stressed that the matter was an Iraqi decision.

The President also said Iraq would not allow its territory to be used to launch attacks against any country. He noted that the Peshmerga is a constitutional institution operating within the Kurdistan Region and is not part of the weapons-control issue.

The new Iraqi government, led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, has made placing weapons under state control a top priority on its security and political agenda. 30 September has been set as the deadline for armed factions that have resisted relinquishing their weapons, following understandings reached between Iraq's Coordination Framework leaders and al-Zaidi.

Addressing the security situation, he described attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region as “unjustified” and attempts to target the head of the Supreme Judicial Council and politicians as “terrorist attempts”. He stressed that “there is no security in the region without the security and stability of Iraq”.

Reports citing Iraqi security sources circulated recently saying that security and intelligence bodies were examining a possible plot to assassinate Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan, that the threat was regarded as serious and linked to an unnamed armed faction, and that additional protective measures had been taken. 

Regarding regional security, the President referred to the Turkish military presence in northern Iraq, saying Baghdad wanted peace with both Türkiye and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

On the Strait of Hormuz, he said Iraq faced difficulties transporting its oil because it lacks a national shipping carrier. He noted that some tankers carrying Iraqi oil were receiving preferential treatment while passing through the strait, stressing that disruptions in the waterway would affect the entire world, not Iraq alone.

The President also said he believed the United States wanted to reach an agreement to end the war. He recalled that the international coalition had been established at Iraq’s request to fight ISIS, but said Iraq no longer needed the coalition and that its withdrawal was scheduled for 30 September.

On the economic front, he identified the oil and gas law as the most important legislation, describing the issue as a major source of disputes between Baghdad and Erbil. He stressed that countries are strengthened by their legislation.




PUKMEDIA