According to KurdPress, Nouri al-Maliki, head of the Iraqi Government of Law Coalition, welcomed Joshua Harris, chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Iraq, in his office in Baghdad and discussed the future of strategic relations between Baghdad and Washington and ways to preserve Iraqi sovereignty.According to a statement from Nouri al-Maliki's office, the meeting discussed the agreement on a strategic framework between Iraq and the United States and developments in relations between the two countries.

One of the main topics of the meeting was the Iraqi government's efforts to limit weapons to official and government institutions. Maliki announced that the "Coordination Framework" has formed a special committee to study this file, which will soon begin its work in coordination with the government to find an appropriate mechanism to implement the arms control process.

Maliki emphasized that the case of armed groups must be resolved through dialogue, national understanding, and within the framework of the institutions of the Iraqi constitution, and that the country's official institutions are the only authority for managing security affairs.According to the statement, the US charge d’affaires also praised Maliki’s political role in strengthening Iraq’s stability and supporting the government’s efforts to reform and strengthen state institutions, and emphasized Washington’s readiness to continue coordinating with Baghdad.

The issue of armed groups and limiting weapons in the hands of official institutions is one of the sensitive files facing the Iraqi government, especially as the deadline for regulating the status of weapons and armed forces outside the framework of the government approaches.

In September 2024, Iraq and the United States agreed to end the military mission of the US-led international coalition against ISIS in Iraq. This process is defined as a phased plan to transition the two countries’ security relations from the framework of an international coalition to bilateral cooperation.The first phase of this process ended in September 2025, with US forces remaining in the Kurdistan Region to support anti-ISIS operations in Syria. According to the announced plan, the final phase of this process is also scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2026.