Iraqi Militias Prepare to Disarm to Avoid Conflict with US
The Iraqi government has been holding talks with powerful Iranian-backed militia groups to disarm them and prevent an escalating conflict with the US Trump administration. According to 10 senior commanders and Iraqi officials, the militias are willing to disarm for the first time to avoid being targeted by US airstrikes.
Background
The move to defuse tensions follows repeated warnings issued privately by US officials to the Iraqi government since Trump took power in January. The officials told Baghdad that unless it acted to disband the militias operating on its soil, America could target the groups with airstrikes.
Discussions
Izzat al-Shahbndar, a senior Shi’ite Muslim politician close to Iraq’s governing alliance, told Reuters that discussions between Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and several militia leaders were "very advanced", and the groups were inclined to comply with US calls for disarmament.
Militia Leaders’ Views
Six local commanders of four major militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, Nujabaa, Kataib Sayyed al-Shuhada and Ansarullah al-Awfiyaa, spoke to Reuters about the situation. They said their main ally and patron, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) military force, had given them its blessing to take whatever decisions they deemed necessary to avoid being drawn into a potentially ruinous conflict with the United States and Israel.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq
The militias are part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of about 10 hardline Shi’ite armed factions that collectively command about 50,000 fighters and arsenals that include long-range missiles and anti-aircraft weapons. The Resistance group, a key pillar of Iran’s network of regional proxy forces, have claimed responsibility for dozens of missile and drone attacks on Israel and US forces in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war erupted about 18 months ago.
US Pressure
The US State Department said it continued to urge Baghdad to rein in the militias. "These forces must respond to Iraq’s commander-in-chief and not to Iran," it added. An American official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that there had been instances in the past when the militias had ceased their attacks because of US pressure, and was sceptical any disarmament would be long-term.
Future of Disarmament
While the fate of any disarmament process remains uncertain, the discussions nonetheless mark the first time the militias have been prepared to give ground to longstanding Western pressure to demilitarize. The shift comes at a precarious time for Tehran’s regional "Axis of Resistance" which it has established at great cost over decades to oppose Israel and US influence but has seen severely weakened since Palestinian group Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 2023 tipped the Middle East into conflict.
Conclusion
The Iraqi government is seeking to balance its alliances with both America and Iran in its dealing with the militias on its soil. The groups sprang up across the country with Iranian financial and military support in the chaotic wake of the 2003 US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, and have become formidable forces that can rival the national army in firepower.
FAQs
Q: Why are the militias willing to disarm?
A: The militias are willing to disarm to avoid being targeted by US airstrikes and to prevent an escalating conflict with the US Trump administration.
Q: What is the Islamic Resistance in Iraq?
A: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq is an umbrella group of about 10 hardline Shi’ite armed factions that collectively command about 50,000 fighters and arsenals that include long-range missiles and anti-aircraft weapons.
Q: What is the US State Department’s stance on the militias?
A: The US State Department continues to urge Baghdad to rein in the militias and ensure they respond to Iraq’s commander-in-chief and not to Iran.