Al-Sudani’s coalition seeks oversight of PM Al-Zaidi's US accords

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Reconstruction and Development Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, said on Friday that any agreements reached by Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi during his visit to Washington would be reviewed by Iraq's political leadership and, where required by law, submitted to parliament for approval.

Coalition member Ali Hussein Obeid Al-Fatlawi told Shafaq News that political parties had made clear any agreement or understanding requiring legal ratification must be presented to the Council of Representatives, while broader understandings would also be discussed within the ruling Coordination Framework and the State Administration Coalition after Al-Zaidi's return.

He said some memoranda of understanding would not require parliamentary approval, but others would need further legal and political review before taking effect.

Al-Fatlawi also raised concerns over potential agreements involving US oil companies, arguing that some proposed service contracts could be significantly more expensive than existing licensing agreements and should therefore be scrutinized by lawmakers before implementation.

Earlier, a source told Shafaq News that Iraq was expected to sign more than 18 agreements with the United States covering sectors including politics, energy, investment, defense, education and healthcare.

Read more: Iraq-US investment deals depend on implementation

Al-Zaidi, who began his first official foreign visit since taking office on July 13, has held talks with US President Donald Trump and senior American officials on security cooperation, investment, energy and economic partnerships, while both sides also discussed ending the US military presence following the conclusion of the Global Coalition's mission and Iraq's commitment to placing all weapons under state control by the end of September.

Read more: Al-Zaidi at the White House ...