US Warns Iraq to Disarm Iran-Aligned Militias by Sept. 30 as Kataib Hezbollah Threatens War
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 15
US Warns Iraq to Disarm Iran-Aligned Militias by Sept. 30 as Kataib Hezbollah Threatens War
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 15
Summary
Pete Hegseth told Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi that Iraq must disarm Iran-aligned militias, sharpening pressure on Baghdad as the US-Israel war on Iran intensifies.
Sept. 30 has become the key deadline: Trump and al-Zaidi said fewer than 2,000 remaining US troops would leave Iraq by then, and al-Zaidi pledged armed factions would disarm on the same date.
Kataib Hezbollah answered with a threat, saying its participation would be “immediate and certain” if war were launched against Iran, underscoring the risk that Iraqi groups could open another front.
Ali al-Zaidi still used the Washington visit to deepen economic ties, seek oil and gas deals and pursue an IMF loan of up to $8 billion, even as Iraq tries to preserve relations with both Washington and Tehran.
Analysts say that balancing act is increasingly fragile because Iran-linked factions retain influence inside Iraq’s politics and security apparatus, raising the danger of repeated small escalations that erode Iraqi sovereignty.
Can Iraq disarm powerful pro-Iran militias, or is its promise to the US an impossible bargain?
Will an $8 billion IMF loan reform Iraq, or just delay an inevitable economic collapse?
Iraq’s September 2026 Militia Disarmament Deadline: US Ultimatum, Economic Risks, and Regional Fallout
Overview
As the US prepares to withdraw its remaining forces from Iraq by September 30, 2026, it has demanded that Iraq fully disarm all Iran-aligned militias by the same deadline. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged that only the state will possess weapons after this date, aiming to consolidate government authority and eliminate non-state armed groups. However, integrating powerful militias like the Popular Mobilization Forces into the official security apparatus remains a major challenge. The future of US-Iraq relations, including vital economic and defense cooperation, now depends on Iraq’s ability to meet this tough disarmament goal.