Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein urged Iraqi political parties and parliamentary factions to openly reconsider their opposition to the two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He emphasised the urgency of launching a renewed, national-level debate over Iraq’s official stance.
During an interview with Iraq's News Agency (INA), Hussein addressed Iraq's absence from a recent meeting held by US President Donald Trump with eight Arab and Islamic countries, which eventually culminated in Trump's plan to end two years of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
"The Iraqi position is not in favour of what is called the two-state solution, and Iraqi law prohibits participation in such discussions," he said. "There is no isolation of Iraq as a result."
Hussein noted that, although Iraq currently upholds its stance against the two-state solution, the majority of Arab states and the Palestinian people support it. He argued that this growing consensus places an additional responsibility on Iraq's national parties and parliamentary blocs to evaluate whether to continue or revise their longstanding positions carefully.
The foreign minister reaffirmed Iraq's "clear and consistent position" in support of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state. "This is a legitimate right that we fully support," he said. "Throughout all stages of the aggression on Gaza, Iraq has been among the first to call for an end to the war and the opening of humanitarian corridors, while firmly rejecting any attempts to displace the Palestinian people."
Hussein said that Baghdad's relations with the United States remain "strong and historically rooted", denying any decline in American interest in Iraq. He also noted that Washington's priorities have shifted toward global issues, but insisted that this has not affected bilateral cooperation.
Kurdish political analyst Yassin Taha argued that the two-state solution's global and regional significance makes Hussein's remarks a call for Iraq to determine a clear and rational path forward regarding its stance.
Taha claimed Iraq could face isolation if it avoids engagement, since nearly all of Israel's neighbours recognise its existence. He suggested Iraq must weigh the choice between accepting international isolation and re-examining its position.
Taha argued that Iraq's anti-normalisation law is "unrealistic in the current international context," and added that while Iraq can decide its approach to Israel, the law does not reflect today’s political realities and has created obstacles.
"Initially introduced to appease voters, the law now poses serious risks of Iraq's isolation," he stressed.
Meanwhile, political analyst Ibrahim al-Sumaidaie said that some Iraqi factions and figures have expressed readiness to normalise relations with Israel, stating that Washington and Tel Aviv are advocating for the "Abraham Accords" as a regional reality.
During an interview with an Iraqi television channel, he said Shia and Sunni forces have signalled openness to normalisation, but cautioned this may not benefit Iraq.
Iraq's parliament unanimously passed the Anti-Normalisation Law No. 1 of 2022 in mid-2022, making it illegal to establish any political, economic, cultural, or media ties with Israel. The legislation, the first of its kind in the country, reaffirms Iraq's constitutional position of being in a state of war with Israel and imposes severe penalties, including life imprisonment or the death penalty, for "any cooperation with the occupation".
The law was proposed by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who called on his Sadrist bloc members to introduce it before they withdrew from parliament.
In a development widely criticised by sectors of the Arab world and the Palestinians, four Arab countries—the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Bahrain, and Morocco—have established diplomatic relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords, a US-led Middle East peace initiative.
Recently, Trump claimed that more Arab nations will join the accords.