Iran's Parliament Speaker is rumored to have met with Iraqi militia leaders in recent days

A former Iraqi official has told i24NEWS that Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, allegedly made a secret visit to Iraq to coordinate potential attacks against regional countries in the event of renewed war with Iran. Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesperson for Iraq's deputy prime minister, made the claim while speaking on i24NEWS' Middle East Now, citing information from his contacts inside Iraq. "There is a very strong rumor from inside Iraq, my inside Iraq contacts, that Ghalibaf, the head of the parliament, made a secret visit to Baghdad in the past two days," Qanbar said.

He alleged that Ghalibaf met with militia leaders to develop "a plan for a robust attack on neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia, Israel and other countries, if the war operations resume." The allegations have not been independently verified by i24NEWS, and there has been no official confirmation of the purported visit or attack plans. Qanbar characterized the information as a rumor based on his personal sources rather than established fact.

Fmr. Iraqi official to i24NEWS: Iran met with militia leaders in Iraq to plan attacks in the region The claims come as Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi reportedly prepares to visit Kuwait and Bahrain, following diplomatic engagements with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Iran. According to a report published by Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Zaidi's diplomatic campaign seeks to rebuild confidence with neighboring governments following attacks carried out by armed factions operating from Iraqi territory.

The Iraqi leader has reportedly offered assurances that such attacks will not be repeated, while Baghdad continues efforts to bring weapons held by armed groups under state control. The process is expected to be completed by June 2027, although some factions remain opposed. However, Qanbar questioned whether those assurances would hold if hostilities between Iran and the United States or Israel resumed. "The real test is, if there is an attack, American or Israeli attack, or both on Iran and resumption of the war operation, will the militias in Iraq continue to attack neighboring countries and Gulf countries and Israel," he said.

"Unfortunately, all signs and signals indicate that this is not going to go well." Qanbar acknowledged that al-Zaidi was attempting to curb militia activity, pointing to what he described as Iraqi troop deployments along the Saudi border and the closure of the al-Sheeb border crossing with Iran, which he alleged had previously been used to smuggle missiles. According to a report by Alhurra, Iraq has also deployed four military brigades to the southern province of Basra following intelligence that Iran-backed militias were allegedly planning drone and ground attacks against neighboring Kuwait in the event of renewed war with Iran.

But despite those measures, Qanbar argued that the government would struggle to control the armed factions without taking more decisive action. "So he is trying, but I don't think he will be able to control them unless he go to use force," he said, adding that Iraq's army, police and counterterrorism forces were capable of confronting the militias if given the political authorization. "But that requires a political will." Suggested articles Iraq's bid to mediate Iran-Gulf tensions faces major obstacles, former UN envoy warns | Alex Schloss Iraqi PM sets June 30 deadline for pro-Iran factions to disarm as US coalition withdraws | i24NEWS Israeli citizen is free after 11 years in prison in Iraq's Kurdish region after being accused of murder | i24NEWS The issue of militia disarmament has emerged as one of the most significant challenges facing al-Zaidi's government.

Iran-aligned armed factions have resisted efforts to surrender their weapons, complicating Baghdad's attempts to balance relations with Washington and Tehran. Qanbar also criticized the appointment of Laith al-Khazali, a US-sanctioned former militia commander, as Iraq's deputy prime minister, arguing that such appointments undermine the government's assurances that it is bringing armed groups under control. Al-Khazali, the brother of Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali, was previously detained by US forces over his alleged involvement in a deadly 2007 attack against American troops in Karbala.

He was sanctioned by Washington in 2019. Qanbar warned that armed factions could offer reassurances to Baghdad and Washington while retaining the ability to resume attacks in support of Iran. "Washington should not believe these promises. The prime minister is doing his best, but he needs help," he said. Meanwhile, al-Zaidi's expected talks in Kuwait will address longstanding maritime disputes, including the Mubarak al-Kabeer Port project, while discussions in Bahrain are expected to focus on regional security, de-escalation and political issues.