At Tehran’s Saadabad Palace on Thursday morning, the Iraqi and Iranian national anthems were played as Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi inspected an honor guard alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Hours earlier, MBN’s correspondent stationed near Baghdad International Airport witnessed an unusual scene: the prime minister’s aircraft took off escorted by Iraqi fighter jets, a security measure not typically seen during flights by Iraqi prime ministers. According to information obtained by MBN, the fighter jets remained with the aircraft after it entered Iranian airspace.
Al-Zaidi’s visit to Iran came just days after a trip to Washington, where he met U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office and pledged to disarm armed militias and continue his government’s anti-corruption campaign.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attend a welcoming ceremony in Tehran, Iran, July 23, 2026. Iranian Presidency website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters.
“I Can’t Discuss the Details”
A day before al-Zaidi departed for Tehran, government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi appeared on Dijlah TV, a channel owned by the prime minister, and said the government possessed sensitive information concerning al-Zaidi’s safety but could not disclose further details.
Such a statement from an official government spokesman carries particular weight in Iraq. Former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt five years ago after a drone targeted his residence inside Baghdad’s Green Zone.
Last week, MBN interviewed Fahd al-Jubouri, a member of the political bureau of the National Wisdom Movement, one of the factions within Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework. Jubouri said al-Zaidi had previously told a Coordination Framework meeting: “I am moving in this direction, and I will continue on this path even if it costs me my life or leads to my assassination,” referring to his campaign against corruption and his effort to bring all weapons under state control.
What Has Al-Zaidi Done to Reach This Point?
On June 28, Baghdad awoke to an extraordinary sight. Tanks rolled into the Green Zone while security forces raided the homes of lawmakers and officials who, for years, had appeared beyond the reach of the law.
The operation, dubbed “White Dawn,” resulted in the detention of 47 lawmakers and government officials, along with the seizure of assets worth more than $250 million, according to an Iraqi government spokesman who previously spoke to MBN.
Hours after the Coordination Framework meeting concluded, a drone was detected flying over the Green Zone, a security official previously told MBN.
Al-Zaidi faces a challenge that has eluded successive Iraqi governments. Efforts to disarm armed factions stalled under his predecessor, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, particularly after tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated in 2025 and Iraqi armed groups became involved alongside Iran.
Al-Zaidi, by contrast, has stated his position unequivocally. Speaking to a group of journalists at the government palace, he said Iraq faces a “zero-sum equation: either the state or the non-state,” adding that his government would press ahead with eliminating all weapons outside state authority despite opposition from powerful political forces.
Unlike some of his political rivals, al-Zaidi does not command an armed faction of his own. That gave added significance to the fighter jets escorting his aircraft: his security depends on Iraq’s regular armed forces even as he seeks to make the state the country’s sole legitimate bearer of arms.
Al-Zaidi’s visit to Saadabad, however, is unlikely to resolve the question of militia weapons. The Iraqi government said talks in Iran would focus on issues including natural gas, electricity and trade. Armed factions opposed to disarmament have likewise indicated they will not alter their position because of any joint statement issued at the conclusion of the visit.
Still, the trip underscores the scale of the challenge confronting al-Zaidi. He is attempting to strengthen state authority in a country where, over the past two decades, political and security arrangements have given armed factions extensive influence, while at the same time seeking to preserve Iraq’s relationships with both Washington and Tehran.
In Baghdad, drones flying over the Green Zone have often been interpreted as warning signals. This time, the fighter jets escorting al-Zaidi’s plane appeared to symbolize the state’s response to those warnings.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
