Shafaq News– Baghdad

Iraq is heading toward a “dangerous crossroads” as some political forces blur the line between defending the state and shielding themselves from the fallout of regional shifts, particularly developments inside Iran, Iraqi politician Mithal Al-Alusi warned on Saturday.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Al-Alusi said that repeated US objections to including armed factions in Iraq’s next government, along with calls to dismantle and strip them of weapons, reflect pressure to enforce the constitution and the rule of law, cautioning, “Ignoring this pressure could lead to serious political, security, and economic consequences.”

Al-Alusi added that Washington views the growing influence of figures linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a threat to Iraqi sovereignty, placing responsibility on the caretaker government to curb Iran’s reach and the influence of the Axis of Resistance, which includes Hezbollah and the Houthis (Ansarallah) movement. Continued alignment with regional conflicts could draw Iraq into financing wars through money, politics, or manpower, he warned, noting that instability in Iran, Syria, or Lebanon would quickly spill over.

Read more: US strategy 2026: Containment or military strike for Iraqi armed factions

The US assessment is that the Shiite Coordination Framework no longer has the ability to impose its political agenda, Al-Alusi argued, describing it as an alliance formed outside parliament and influenced by Iran’s Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani. “The bloc includes armed factions accused of terrorism and loyalty to a foreign power, using their leverage to steer legislation and restrict government action.”

Iraqi leaders face a choice between enforcing the constitution or remaining tied to regional alignments that risk isolating the country, he concluded.

Debate over weapons outside state control intensified in late 2025. Several Iran-aligned factions, including Kataib Imam Ali, Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya, and Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada, indicated readiness to support limiting arms to the state. Other factions, however, rejected that approach, with Kataib Hezbollah arguing that state sovereignty and security must first be ensured through the withdrawal of US, NATO, and Turkish forces, while framing armed resistance as a legitimate right.

Read more: Iraq’s armed factions and the disarmament debate: Why unity masks deep divisions

The United States has repeatedly called for the full dismantling of all armed factions operating independently in Iraq, stressing that any disarmament must be irreversible, conducted under a binding national framework, and exclude armed groups from government participation.

Earlier today, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Baghdad told Shafaq News that members of “Iran-backed militias” who reject Iraqi calls for disarmament should not participate in Iraq’s next government, explaining that such groups “undermine Iraq’s sovereignty, threaten Americans and Iraqis, and pilfer Iraq's resources for the benefit of Iran.”