Iraqi foreign minister says US-Iran 'no war, no peace' standoff cannot go on
Fuad Hussein told FRANCE 24 that Baghdad is mediating between Washington and Tehran, rejected a US demand to shut most border crossings with Iran, and confirmed Iraqi oil is moving through the Strait of Hormuz under American protection.
By Alessia Romano ·
Iraq's top diplomat has warned that the unresolved confrontation between the United States and Iran is unsustainable, saying his country has no choice but to help push the two sides toward a settlement. Speaking to FRANCE 24, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein described the current state of affairs as one of 'no war and no peace' and said it 'cannot continue'.
In Hussein's assessment, the standoff between Washington and Tehran faces a stark choice: it 'either goes towards peace or it goes towards war'. He argued that Iraq has a direct stake in the outcome because it 'has been included' in the conflict pitting Iran against the United States and Israel, which makes mediation a responsibility rather than an option.
'It is our duty to mediate,' Hussein said, pointing to a visit by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to Tehran last week. During that trip, the Iraqi premier met Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and its top negotiator, in an effort to keep channels between the adversaries open.
The minister also pushed back against a demand from Washington that Iraq seal all but two of its border crossings with Iran. Hussein said complying was 'not possible' and confirmed that Baghdad has so far declined to implement the measure. Iraqi officials remain 'in discussion' with their American counterparts about the request, he added, warning that such a step 'will be a kind of sanction against the Iraqi people'.
On the economic front, Hussein confirmed that Iraqi crude is once again being exported through the Strait of Hormuz, with the shipments travelling under US protection. He said the exports, which follow a route near Oman, resumed about two months ago and have since climbed from 2.2 million barrels a day to 3.2 million, figures he attributed to Iraq's oil minister.
The foreign minister also addressed the question of armed groups operating inside Iraq, a longstanding point of friction with Washington. He said Prime Minister al-Zaidi is personally leading negotiations aimed at bringing their weapons under state control by June 2027.
According to Hussein, some of the groups have already agreed to the government's terms, and he expressed optimism that the rest would follow. He said he hoped all of them 'will accept the offer of the prime minister', framing the disarmament effort as a process already underway rather than a distant goal.
