Iraq’s ruling bloc calls for de-escalation after coalition withdrawal

The coalition’s withdrawal had been a key demand of several political forces and Iran-backed Iraqi militias, with some armed groups saying its departure was a prerequisite for considering the handover of their weapons to the state.

News

Iraqi pro-Iran militia leader says US withdrawal not concern for Kurdistan Region

The Kurdistan Region has faced more than 1,000 drone and missile attacks from Iran and Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups since the start of the Middle East war in late February.

News

Two Iraqi militias back Zaidi’s disarmament deadline

Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi welcomed the stance of the armed factions that declared their commitment to the government’s disarmament timeline, adding “we expect the same commitment from the others … reinforcing the authority and the prestige of the state.”

News

September 30: Once a deadline, now a test for the Iraqi state

Iraqi officials and Shiite militia leaders now say September 30 marks only the coalition's departure, not a deadline for disarmament, and describe it as the start of understandings on restricting weapons to state authority.

Baxtiyar Goran

Opinion

Iraqi government to disarm all non-Iraqi armed groups: PM Zaidi

“The government will work to fully disarm all non-Iraqi armed groups present on Iraqi soil, thereby safeguarding the country’s security and stability and ensuring the control of its borders,” Zaidi said in a statement.

News

Iraqi government prepares ‘draft plan’ for weapons restriction, says FM

“The Iraqi government has prepared a draft plan to restrict weapons to the state, which is scheduled to be presented in the coming days,” Hussein said in an Atlantic Council discussion in Washington. 

News

We did not reach an agreement with the prime minister: Kataib Hezbollah

“We did not reach a conclusion with the prime minister, having awaited his response until the very last moment,” Secretary-General of Kataib Hezbollah Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi said in a statement, referring to a September 30 deadline for the disarmament of armed militias in the country.

News

Victory or endless displacement: The fate of Jurf al-Nasr

The town of Jurf al-Nasr in Iraq's Babil province, a predominantly Sunni enclave, has witnessed mass displacement since the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS). Its residents, however, remain languishing in displacement camps almost 12 years after the jihadists' fall, with the town remaining a hotbed for powerful Iran-backed militias.

Features

Iraqi pro-Iran militia warns ‘undesired’ response over ‘backtracking’ guarantees

Ashab al-Kahf did not specify which guarantees or commitments it was referring to, but its warning comes as Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government negotiates with armed factions over weapons regulation and the eventual integration of fighters into state institutions.

News