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Leaders from the Shia-dominated National Iraqi Alliance (NIA) and other major parties have held a series of meetings with Iraqi opposition leaders in Beirut to discuss a "historical settlement" after IS is defeated, sources told °®Âþµº.

A delegation comprising leaders in the government coalition and other political parties met in Beirut with groups "opposed to the political process" to discuss in detail the items for a grand settlement in Iraq, an NIA member told °®Âþµº.

The delegation received the opposition's remarks, and in turn communicated a request from the NIA for a unified proposal from the opposition groups.

The alliance - which dominates parliament and government in Iraq - had proposed an initiative for a historic settlement, and handed it over to the UN. It sought to engage opposition groups in Kurdistan and exiled outside Iraq to resolve the country's multi-faceted political crisis and make arrangements for the phase after the defeat of the Islamic State [IS] group.

Hakim's settlement plan provides a loose framework to reconcile Iraq's various religious sects and political factions once the country is rid of IS

Lebanese Hizballah - which has close ties to Shia parties in Iraq is involved in the mediation efforts beween the political alliance led by cleric Ammar al-Hakim and opposition groups according to Iraqi political sources. Hizballah official Mohammad al-Kawtharani is reportedly personally in charge of the Iraqi dossier.

Ammar al-Hakim had led a similar delegation to Jordan's capital Amman to meet with members of Iraq's opposition.

Iraq is suffering from a deep political crisis that dates back to the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq that removed the regime of Saddam Hussein. Since then, the country split along sectarian and ethnic fault lines, leading to widespread corruption, violence and civil war and the rise of IS.

According to a Stratfor analysis, Hakim's settlement plan provides a "loose framework to reconcile Iraq's various religious sects and political factions once the country is rid of IS, emphasising compromise and renouncing violence".

Hakim, the analysis continues, "has taken his pacific plan on a tour of the Middle East to try to convince Iraq's regional allies of the country's future prospects and win financial support for the costly reconstruction process ahead".