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State Department says it strongly opposes Iraqi bill that would institutionalize Iran-backed armed groups
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Summary
The spokesperson said the department strongly opposes legislation in Iraq that would institutionalize armed groups tied to Iran and that the U.S. supports Iraqi sovereignty and existing security institutions; she said the bill runs counter to bilateral security goals.
The State Department told reporters it “strongly oppose[s] any legislation that is inconsistent with the goals of our bilateral security assistance” after a reporter asked about a bill in the Iraqi parliament that would further institutionalize armed groups associated with Iran.
The spokesperson said the bill would “further institutionalize armed groups associated with terrorist groups and Iran-backed groups, including several that have attacked US interests and killed US personnel.” She said the United States supports “genuine Iraqi sovereignty, not legislation that turns Iraq into an Iranian satellite state.”
Discussion only: the spokesperson framed the department’s opposition and said she would provide further updates on Thursday; she did not outline specific sanctions or legal measures during the briefing. No formal U.S. action was announced from the podium.
The spokesperson characterized the issue as directly related to U.S. security cooperation with Iraq and said the department would follow the parliamentary process and report back.
