US President Donald Trump will host Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House in mid-July, according to corroborated reports. Special Presidential Envoy Tom Barrack conveyed the invitation during a meeting with al-Zaidi in Baghdad on June 15, as reported by turkiyetoday.com. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the Iraqi leader’s office issued a joint statement confirming the visit.

Barrack discussed the disarming and dissolving of armed groups operating outside state authority during his June visit, a point also emphasized by turkiyetoday.com, which reported that both sides affirmed the urgency of placing all weapons under Iraqi government control. The United States has increased pressure on Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed armed groups, following attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq after the Middle East war broke out in late February. In early May, the U.S. pledged to resume financial transfers and security assistance once concrete steps were taken against these groups.

According to almonitor, al-Zaidi will visit Washington to focus on economic, trade, and investment cooperation, with government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi describing the trip as an effort to enhance the Iraqi-U.S. partnership based on mutual interests. Al-Zaidi, a businessman turned politician, was nominated by Iraq’s Coordination Framework coalition in April, as reported by obalandmagazine.com.