Iran-backed militias in Iraq signal move to place weapons under state control amid US pressure

Amidst mounting US pressure, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have indicated a willingness to place their weapons under state control, potentially breaking away from the government-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

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After achieving victory over ISIS, the competent authorities were supposed to dissolve these factions and return their members to society or integrate the qualified ones into official institutions.

This potential shift follows a period of heightened tensions, during which these militias, including designated terrorist groups like Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, launched numerous attacks against US diplomatic facilities and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. These actions were largely in response to US and Israeli strikes during the Iran conflict.

The Iraqi government formalized the PMF as a state paramilitary after the defeat of ISIS in 2017, an organization that grew from a religious call to arms by Ayatollah Ali Sistani. However, many of the most powerful factions within the PMF maintain strong ties to Iran.

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an Iranian maneuver or a capitulation to American pressure?

While Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's group, Saraya al Salam, has announced it will place itself under state control, sparking similar declarations from other factions, skepticism abounds. Experts cited by UAE's Al-Ain media question whether this is a genuine capitulation to American pressure or a calculated Iranian maneuver to redefine the militias' status without altering their fundamental behavior or control over weaponry.

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Iraqi factions announce they are severing ties with pro-Tehran militias in a move that sparks controversy over whether the step is an Iranian maneuver or a capitulation to American pressure.