Iraq finds itself at a new crossroads. Will it rein in Iranian-backed militias or let them continue to hollow out the country? It is one of many crossroads in history for Iraq, a divided country.
This is perhaps natural for a place sometimes known as the Land of the Two Rivers because of the Tigris and Euphrates. The heartland of ancient Mesopotamia, the land of Ur, from whence Abraham came. As such, it is a place that has often left leaders with tough choices.
The issue confronting the new Prime Minister, Ali al Zaidi, is how to control armed groups in the country. This refers to many armed militias, most backed by Iran.
On May 27, one of the militia leaders gave a statement. “The Secretary-General of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq movement, Qais al-Khazali, stated on Wednesday that resistance is no longer limited to military action alone, but extends to building a strong state capable of making its sovereign decisions,” Iraq’s Shafaq News noted.
“Al-Khazali said in his Eid al-Adha prayer sermon in Baghdad that the military action of the resistance was a top priority when the Iraqi state was threatened. He explained that the correct idea of resistance is embodied in building a strong state that has its own decision, sovereignty, and institutions, stressing that ‘any resistance that does not have an integrated building project will turn into a burden on society over time.’”
Resistance is the word that Iran uses for its policy in the region. It is “resisting” the US and Israel. Its proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, and elsewhere are doing the same. Khazali is a sanctioned terrorist by the US. Back in 2017, he even traveled from Iraq to Lebanon to threaten Israel alongside Hezbollah.
Weapons are the arms of the ‘resistance’
Meanwhile, the Shi’ite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr said his Patriotic Shiite Movement, which has an armed group called Saraya Al-Salam, will place their arms under state institutions. This is supposed to encourage the prime minister to move forward in pressuring the other militias.
Shafaq noted that Al-Sadr described the move as a step taken “in the national interest” and in response to the risks facing the country. Now the Iranian-backed militias are speaking up.
“Asaib Ahl al-Haq, an Iran-backed Iraqi armed faction, on Wednesday voiced support for restricting weapons to state control following a decision by Muqtada Al-Sadr, leader of the Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM), to place Saraya Al-Salam, the armed wing of his movement, under state authority,” Shafaq added.
A member of the group, Khaled Al-Saadi, who is also on the political bureau of the Sadiqoon parliamentary bloc, the political wing of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, said: “There should be no uncontrolled weapons outside state institutions.” He also praised Khazali’s statement.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Zaidi has also backed the Sadr statement, calling it an important step toward strengthening stability and reinforcing the rule of law.
But not everyone is pleased. Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada (KSS) has rejected handing over its weapons to the government. It says the weapons are the arms of the “resistance.”
It should be noted that KSS is one of four militias the US recently put out a reward for information on. The US Rewards for Justice has put out $10 million bounties for information on four leaders of the Iranian-backed militias.
KSS spokesperson Kazem Al-Fartousi told Shafaq News “that the group supports Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi in managing the state and maintaining stability but opposes disarmament ‘at the current stage,’ arguing that the faction’s weapons are tied to ongoing threats facing Iraq rather than being ‘personal arms.’”
It is not clear which Awfiya leader was killed
Meanwhile, Shafaq also reported that “a senior commander from Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed faction, was killed and his aide seriously wounded on Thursday when an explosive device detonated inside their vehicle in Maysan province, a security source told Shafaq News.” The report is interesting because Awfiya is also one of the groups for which the US has put out a reward.
It is not clear which Awfiya leader was killed. The Rewards for Justice said recently it “is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on Akram ‘Abbas al-Kabi, the founder and leader of the terrorist group Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN), a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).”
It also said that it is “offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on Haydar Muzhir Ma’lak al-Sa’idi, the leader of the terrorist group Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA), a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
In addition, the US is offering $10 million for information on Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, the leader and Secretary General of the terrorist group Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), and $10 million for information on Ahmad al-Hamidawi, the leader of the terrorist group Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). “In March 2026, al-Hamidawi directed KH attacks on US diplomatic facilities,” the US says.
