Iraq has tightened restrictions on visits by senior Iranian security and military officials, ordering State institutions not to arrange such trips independently and requiring the written approval of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Al-Modon news portal reported, citing Iraqi sources familiar with a confidential government directive.

The directive, which the sources said has been circulated to senior officials and State agencies for the second time in two months, effectively bars Iraqi authorities from coordinating visits by Iranian officials with military or security backgrounds without prior authorization, regardless of the stated purpose of the trip.

The measure also applies to Iraq's security and intelligence services, which are no longer exempt from the directive, the sources said. Any visit considered necessary or involving security or economic coordination would require the prime minister's written approval.

The renewed directive comes as Baghdad faces growing pressure to bring all weapons under State control and as tensions rise over a government plan to disarm powerful Iran-backed armed factions.

Qaani's Visits Under Scrutiny

Iraqi sources said the latest directive follows an earlier order issued in July that was quickly breached by Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force.

Qaani has made several low-profile visits to Iraq, including an unannounced trip to Baghdad in August during which he held meetings with Iraqi political and security figures and commanders of Shiite armed groups over the government's plan to bring weapons under state control.

According to the Iraqi sources, Qaani also appeared at Najaf airport in connection with the arrival of the funeral procession of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was buried in Iraq.

The sources said Qaani returned to Iraq again last month and appeared to warn Iraqi political parties and armed factions against proceeding with a U.S.-backed plan to collect their weapons and place them under the authority of the Iraqi state.

The new rules specifically prohibit visits by Iranian officials with military or security backgrounds, according to the sources.

Although Qaani is not named in the directive, Iraqi sources viewed the measure as an implicit restriction on the Quds Force commander, whose previous trips to Iraq were conducted through discreet and complicated arrangements and included meetings with Iraqi figures aligned with Tehran.

If an Iranian official's visit is approved, the sources said, his schedule of meetings must be determined in advance and strictly followed.

The visitor would also be required to conduct his official meetings at the Iraqi government's headquarters in Baghdad, with no additional meetings permitted at other locations.

Zaidi Orders Immediate Enforcement

The Iraqi sources told Al-Modon that Zaidi has instructed his ministers and senior security and military officials to give the confidential directive the highest priority and implement it immediately.

Under the instructions, requests for visits by Iranian leaders must be referred to the Cabinet for discussion. Ministers are expected to assess not only the purpose and importance of a proposed visit but also its political and economic benefits for Iraq, the sources said.

Once a visit is approved, the Iranian official would be informed through political and diplomatic channels that he must not interfere in Iraqi affairs, make statements or take actions that could offend Iraq's neighbors, or involve Iraq in regional or international disputes.

The directive is therefore aimed not only at regulating who can enter Iraq and when, but also at controlling the nature and scope of their activities while in the country.

Disarmament Deadline Looms

The directive also comes as Baghdad's campaign to bring weapons under state control enters a critical phase.

The Iraqi government originally set Sept. 30 as the date by which pro-Iran armed factions were expected to hand over their weapons, coinciding with the planned end of the U.S.-led international coalition's mission in Iraq.

Zaidi has sought to give the government a legal framework for restricting weapons to the state, asking parliament's Security and Defense Committee to prepare legislation to that effect.

But the deadline has since become the subject of political debate. Iraqi factions have been discussing whether the timetable should be extended, with some reportedly seeking to postpone the process until the end of the year.

The Iraqi sources cited by Al-Modon said the latest directive is stronger than the previous one and was issued with the deadline approaching.

They said the government is still believed to oppose a request to extend the deadline to the end of the year.

The issue has become particularly sensitive because some of Iraq's most powerful Iran-backed factions, including Kataeb Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, have resisted the government's demand to surrender their weapons. Other groups have signaled a willingness to integrate into the state security structure.