Top Iranian Commander Secretly Lands in Baghdad: The Issues Making Iran Anxious

Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani secretly arrived in Baghdad at the head of a senior military and security delegation, meeting with senior figures in the pro-Iranian camp and militia commanders. The unannounced visit focuses on two sensitive issues: the future of the pro-Iranian militias' weapons and the possibility of allowing Iraq to resume oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. The talks come amid Iraqi government efforts to centralize weapons in state institutions, with a deadline set for September 30.

The commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Esmail Qaani, arrived in Baghdad at the head of a senior military and security delegation, and met with senior figures in the pro-Iranian camp in Iraq and with commanders of armed militias. According to a report by the Iraqi news agency Shafaq News, the unannounced visit focuses on two issues particularly sensitive for Baghdad: the future of the pro-Iranian militias' weapons and the possibility of allowing Iraq to practically resume its oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. A source with knowledge of the matter told Shafaq News that Qaani held a series of meetings with senior figures in the Coordination Framework, the main Shiite bloc in Iraq, along with leaders of armed factions. Among the participants mentioned in the report is Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the Badr Organization. The Saudi Al-Hadath channel, which quoted the Iraqi agency, reported that Qaani also met with other leaders in the Coordination Framework, including former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The talks come amid Iraqi government efforts to centralize weapons in state institutions. The main political forces in the country set September 30 as a target date for resolving the issue. At a meeting of the State Administration Coalition on August 5, it was determined that any body that continues to carry out armed activity outside the framework of official institutions and threatens state security will be considered operating outside the law. It was also clarified that after the set date, such activity could be dealt with in accordance with the anti-terrorism law. However, the militias do not present a unified position. Some factions expressed willingness to discuss reorganizing their relations with the state, while others, including Kata'ib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, refuse to give up their military capabilities. According to Shafaq News, those organizations link any discussion of handing over weapons to the end of the presence of foreign forces in Iraq and to ensuring protection against external attacks. Alongside the weapons issue, the visit also deals with the Iraqi oil export crisis. A Shafaq News source said the parties are examining the possibility of actually allowing Iraq to export its oil through the Strait of Hormuz. This is a matter of critical economic importance to Baghdad, after the crisis in the strait severely damaged export capacity through southern Iraqi ports. Meanwhile, the government is working to expand export alternatives through Turkey, Syria, and Jordan to reduce its dependence on the maritime route. The day before, Shafaq News reported that an Iraqi professional delegation was expected to arrive in Tehran to discuss energy, gas supply, and securing the passage of Iraqi oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. That report linked the contacts to a series of previous talks with senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Qaani himself, regarding the future of the militias and their weapons. The current visit underscores how much the two issues—state control over weapons and the ability to export oil—are now intertwined in the sensitive relations between Baghdad and Tehran.