Pro-Israel Iraqi Politician Condemns Iranian Control Over Iraq's Decisions

Mithal al-Alusi, a senior Iraqi politician who supports normalization with Israel, stated on Thursday that Iraq and other regional countries have no choice but to pursue peace for development. Alusi, currently in Germany, criticized the arrest warrants issued against him and other pro-normalization politicians, saying these orders do not reflect the Iraqi constitution but rather the lack of freedom in Iraq and the absolute dominance of Iran's Revolutionary Guards over the country's political, security, judicial, and economic decisions. He emphasized that these warrants are intended to intimidate free citizens and suppress dissent, allowing Iran to fully control freedom of expression in Iraq.

Recently, Gulf states have joined U.S. President Donald Trump in pressuring Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi to disarm pro-Iranian militias. According to an Iraqi political source, Gulf countries have increased pressure on Baghdad following several attacks by these militias against Gulf interests. Jassim Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, reportedly presented data on militia activities during a recent visit to Baghdad. This Gulf pressure complements American demands for the Iraqi government to dismantle these militias and bring their weapons under state control.

Prime Minister al-Zaydi visited Washington for the first time recently and met with Trump, with high expectations from the U.S. administration regarding reducing militia influence. Additionally, an Iraqi source told Kan News that one Gulf state has criticized a wave of unusual arrests in Iraq, including the detention of a Sunni party leader, amid ongoing tensions involving Iran's influence in Iraq.