ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group of Iran-backed militia groups, rejected on Monday the premier’s visit to Washington and warned of “economic occupation” as the Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is flying to the US.
“We in the Islamic Resistance declare our principled rejection of this visit,” the IRI announced, warning that the country is “replacing military occupation with an even more dangerous economic occupation.”
The Iraqi prime minister is leading a high-level government delegation to Washington for a weeklong visit that includes a scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Zaidi’s visit comes as Iraq seeks to balance its strategic partnership with Washington while expanding economic cooperation and attracting foreign investment.
The IRI said its support for the government’s ongoing anti-corruption crackdown “does not mean giving it a blank check in all its other policies,” adding “nor does it justify passing projects that mortgage the future of generations to companies linked, directly or indirectly, to the interests of the occupation.”
“It has been proven that a number of these companies have fundamental partnerships with the Zionist enemy, which contradicts the requirements of national dignity and betrays the sacrifices of the martyrs,” the umbrella group noted.
The IRI issued a warning to any “monopolistic company” seeking to “exploit” Iraq’s wealth or infringe upon the rights of its people. The group affirmed that the “option to defend the homeland and its legitimate interests will remain active.”
Zaidi’s office announced on Monday that the premier is “heading to the United States of America on an official visit at the head of a governmental and economic delegation.”
“Our goal is clear: to attract investment, transfer expertise, diversify the economy, and create jobs, thereby advancing our development trajectory and solidifying Iraq's position as a reliable partner and an active contributor to the stability and prosperity of the region,” Zaidi posted on X on Monday.
Iraq signed two deals with US companies in early July to expand oil production. State-run North Oil Company and HKN Energy agreed to develop the Hamrin field northeast of Salahadin province. Separately, the government signed an agreement with Halliburton to increase production at the Bin Umar and Sindbad fields in Basra province.
Baghdad and Washington have maintained regular dialogue through mechanisms such as the Higher Coordinating Committee under the Strategic Framework Agreement, with security, energy, and economic issues featuring prominently in bilateral discussions.
Last month, government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi told Rudaw that the visit would focus on strengthening bilateral relations through an economic lens.
“The files concerning the strategic relations between the two countries will be discussed during the visit. The agenda begins with economic issues because the current Iraqi government’s vision is that the economy is the engine of the state,” Aboudi said.
The IRI emerged in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, with the core overlap with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), including Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
In early April, the IRI claimed that it had carried out more than 750 attacks against alleged US-linked assets in Iraq and the region since the beginning of the Iran war and up to that point.
Last updated 12:12 PM.
