US concerned Iraqi militias may expand Middle East conflict: Regional spox

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- The United States is concerned that parties, including Iraqi armed groups, may expand the conflict in the Middle East, Samuel Werberg, the US State Department’s regional spokesperson, told Rudaw on Thursday, adding that Iraqi militias have “increased their destabilizing activities and taken advantage of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.” 
Below is the full transcript of Werberg’s interview with Rudaw. 

Rudaw: We've seen President Biden speak at the UN General Assembly on various issues, but let’s focus on the Middle East. He addressed the ceasefire in Gaza and discussed the events of October 7th and their aftermath. In your opinion, why hasn't a ceasefire been reached yet? What is the main reason behind it?

Samuel Werberg: As we heard from President Biden's speech, it was a strong address, focusing on several American priorities, chiefly the ongoing efforts to address not only the war in Gaza and wars in the Middle East but all wars, conflicts, and disputes worldwide. The first priority is ending wars globally, followed by efforts to strengthen the global humanitarian system, and thirdly, reforms within the UN institutions.

In terms of these efforts, one of the top priorities is ending wars around the world, including the war in Gaza. There are ongoing discussions, known to the United States, with mediation from Egypt and Qatar. We are trying to urge the parties, especially Hamas and Israel, to accept an agreement. As far as our information, all the details of the agreement are known, and both sides, Israel and Hamas, have agreed on 95%. But as we've learned from past negotiations, sometimes the most challenging thing is the final step — the last 500 meters, or the last kilometer. So, efforts must be doubled to urge the parties forward because we believe there is another kilometer separating this war in Gaza from broader regional tensions.

The US is playing the role of mediator, as you mentioned. Have you exerted any pressure to accept Hamas's new conditions? What have you heard from Hamas through intermediaries like Qatar and Egypt? Also, do you expect a ceasefire this month or next?

In terms of timing, it's tough for me to speculate because ultimately, neither the United States, Egypt, nor Qatar imposes solutions, dictates terms, or makes the final decision. We need to see Hamas and Israel accept the agreement, so we have to wait and see. This is especially crucial as we heard something very important from Secretary Blinken recently when he spoke about the challenge of political will. Despite all the details being known, there are still unresolved issues like the Philadelphia corridor and some names on the list of Palestinian prisoners, among others. There is a lack of political will on both sides.

On both Israel and Hamas?

He is not only referring to Hamas; there is a lack of political will on both sides. From the US perspective, we still believe that an agreement is possible, but we need to see whether there is indeed political will from the Israeli government and from Yahya Sinwar and Hamas.

Regarding the region, while efforts are being made to end the war and establish a ceasefire in Gaza, concerns arise that the fighting might extend beyond its current borders to Lebanon. Are you worried that the war could expand to Iraq as well? Particularly since there are armed factions in Iraq that are part of the resistance front, attacking Israel and supporting Hezbollah. Are you concerned about this?

Yes, generally speaking, in the hours and days following October 7th, the United States had concerns about the possibility of any party in the region expanding the scope of the war. That is why we have been making continuous diplomatic efforts, mediating with other countries in the region, coordinating with the United Nations, and working with our friends in the region to de-escalate. All the measures we've seen from the US in the region are aimed at de-escalation. To answer the other part of your question regarding these militias in Iraq and elsewhere — unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. It didn't begin on October 7th; for years, we have seen, and by "we," I don't just mean the US but the entire international community, how the Iranian regime exploits security gaps in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen to supply and fund its proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as these militias in Iraq. So, this is not something new. The American response and coordination with our allies, including the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, have been ongoing for years, not just since October 7th, to prevent Iran from carrying out these destabilizing activities. However, we must acknowledge how, after October 7th, all these militias and Iranian proxies funded by Tehran have increased their destabilizing activities and exploited the humanitarian situation in Gaza, even though they have not and will not provide anything for the Palestinian people. All of them — the Houthis, Hezbollah, and others — speak in the name of the Palestinian people without providing anything but destruction and death.

Regarding Iraq, Secretary Blinken met with the Iraqi Prime Minister to discuss three main topics: the regional situation, which we have discussed, the future of the US-led coalition in Iraq, and oil exports from the Kurdistan Region. Iraqi officials say that everything is finalized, including the draft agreement, with only the announcement remaining. What can you tell me about this? Has an agreement been reached? If so, why hasn’t it been announced, or when will it be?

Yes, so we expect that in the coming days — within a week or two. I don't want to pinpoint an exact date, but in the upcoming days and weeks, we will hear more about the position, and by that, I don't just mean the American position but the joint position because the partnership between the US and Iraq is the most important thing. When we talk about an agreement or a deal, there has been an agreement for years regarding the presence of the American military and the international coalition in Iraq, which was invited by the Iraqi government and is focused on combating terrorism. Therefore, we need to see how this will change in the context of the agreement over the past years, how we will adapt if circumstances change, or at least how we will renew this defense and security relationship with Iraq.

Have you reached an agreement on these changes? Have you agreed with Iraq to end the mission of the international coalition?

So far, there is no official announcement or statement for me to share, but as I've said for weeks now, we knew that following the announcement by Secretary of Defense Austin, we were aware that the American and Iraqi governments were engaging in these discussions to establish the appropriate conditions for the continued coordination between the two countries. So, we expect that within days, maybe a week or two, we will hear more.

The third topic, which I saw in the US State Department statement, is the issue of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region. Last year, Secretary Blinken discussed this with [Iraqi Prime Minister] Sudani, and this year as well. What is the US position on this? What's your comment on this issue remaining unresolved for such a long period?

That's correct, this is a very important issue, and as a diplomat working in Iraq for years, I was aware since 2009 when I was in Iraq that this is a significant matter for the overall Iraqi economy and for the foundational economic coordination between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. Therefore, the US sees, especially given its own experience with shared oil fields between states and other entities — whether shared resources between the US and Canada or between the US and Mexico — all these challenges have technical and practical solutions. For years, the US has been ready to offer any technical assistance to both sides.

Do you see any solution to this problem?

Without a doubt. I am not an expert, but I can say that we have experts ready to provide technical assistance to the regional government in Erbil and the central government in Baghdad. This is not just a political solution; there are technical and detailed aspects that need to be addressed. We also need to see if there is political will on both sides, as we've discussed on some topics.

Do you think that political will is a factor here?

That's possible, but ultimately, we need to hear from the Iraqis, not the US. It's not for the US to impose this political will. However, from our perspective, we have seen and continue to see that all Iraqi people have the right to benefit from their natural resources.

My final question: There was a small Kurdish delegation within the Iraqi delegation that met with American officials, members of Congress, and officials from other countries. How do you evaluate the presence of Kurdish representatives at the UN? To what extent do you consider their participation important, given that the Kurdish population numbers around 50 million people? Even though they were present as part of the Iraqi delegation, there is no independent Kurdish representation at the UN. What is your opinion on this matter?

Without a doubt, it's very important to see representatives from any country, region, or people worldwide. As we heard from President Biden in his speech, he spoke about these priorities — the first being efforts to end wars — but the second and third priorities are crucial in trying to strengthen the global humanitarian system. He emphasized that it's not possible to achieve this solely at the national level. We must have relationships with all regions, peoples, institutions, and governments — not just federal governments but also regional and local governments worldwide — to address environmental and humanitarian disasters, wars, and more. Another focus is on reform efforts, particularly within UN institutions.

Training new members from Kurds and Palestinians?

All efforts to include the world's peoples in the UN and its institutions — it’s not possible to discuss how this participation will take shape right now. But this week in New York, with all eyes and media attention focused on what's happening here, the fundamental question is whether all peoples feel that they have a voice here.

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