ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - US Special Envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya late Thursday issued a statement discussing Iraq's political future and the influence of non-state armed groups who have "weakened" Iraq, asserting Washington's support for Baghdad amid government formation talks and urging political leaders to make "a unified and rational choice."

"Iraq stands once again at a decisive moment," the envoy, appointed by US President Donald Trump in October, wrote on X. "Yet, no nation can succeed while armed groups compete with the state and undermine its authority. This division has weakened Iraq’s global standing, suffocated its economy, and limited its ability to protect its national interests."

Savaya, who is of Chaldean origins, has asserted Washington's stance against the activities of pro-Iran groups operating in Iraq and the proliferation of weapons outside out state control. In early December, he was threatened by Akram al-Kaabi, head of the pro-Iran Harakat al-Nujaba group, who said "know that if you do not silence him, the Islamic Resistance will stuff a stone in his mouth and return him to the masters who enslaved him.” 

Kaabi accused the US envoy of being a “traitor to his country who has thrown himself into the arms of his occupiers, who came recklessly and disregarding the sovereignty of Iraq, rolling up his sleeves to steal the resources of his country and place them in the hands of his foolish American master.”

In his Thursday statement, Savaya said, "Over the past three years, Iraq has demonstrated that real stability is possible when the government follows a realistic and balanced approach that keeps the country out of regional conflicts and restores focus on national priorities."

"This emerging path must not be disrupted," he continued, attaching photos of himself at anti-ISIS protests in 2014. The decisions of "political and religious leaders" in the coming period "will determine whether Iraq advances toward sovereignty and strength or slips back into fragmentation and decline."

"A unified and rational choice will send a clear and unmistakable signal to the United States and the international community that Iraq is ready to claim its rightful place as a stable and respected nation in the new Middle East. The alternative is equally clear: economic deterioration, political confusion, and international isolation."

"Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States stands fully prepared to support Iraq during this critical phase," the US diplomat concluded.

Savaya is expected to make his first visit to Iraq in an official capacity as the US envoy in the coming weeks.

On September 17, the US State Department designated four Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs): Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kataib al-Imam Ali. Kataib Hezbollah has been designated since 2009 and Asaib Ahl al-Haq since 2020