Iraq has proposed creating a joint security coordination council involving Iran and Saudi Arabia to help rebuild trust between the two regional rivals. Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji announced the initiative on state television on Sunday, saying it is intended to address the “crisis of confidence” between Tehran and Riyadh.

The proposal follows Saudi Arabia’s July 27 claim that it destroyed drones launched from Iraq and aimed at Saudi oil facilities. Riyadh blamed Iran-aligned groups for the alleged attack, after which Iraq’s prime minister ordered an investigation. Neither Saudi Arabia nor Iran had made an immediate comment on Iraq’s proposal.

Araji also discussed Iraq’s domestic challenge of bringing weapons under state control. The Iraqi army announced a committee on June 3 for that purpose. He said the planned September 30 withdrawal of the US-led coalition would begin a gradual process of placing all weapons under state control. Araji called for political consensus on disarming armed groups while protecting fighters’ rights.