ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and the newly appointed US charge d'affaires in Baghdad, Steven Fagin, have discussed government efforts to establish a state monopoly on weapons, Hussein’s office said on Thursday.
The meeting addressed “steps taken by the Iraqi government to restrict weapons to the authority of the state,” according to a statement released by the foreign ministry.
The US embassy announced on Wednesday that Fagin would take over as charge d'affaires, succeeding Joshua Harris. Fagin previously served as the US consul general Erbil between 2018 and 2020.
The diplomatic engagement comes amid a pledge by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to disarm armed factions by September 30.
However, pro-Iran groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, have refused to commit to the deadline, casting doubt over whether the objective can be achieved.
The groups form part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella coalition of Iran-aligned factions that has claimed more than 700 attacks targeting US and coalition assets across Iraq and the wider region.
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