Shafaq News- Baghdad

Washington warned Iraq that it could face sanctions and be treated as a state sponsor of terrorism unless Baghdad takes concrete steps to bring armed factions’ weapons under state control by June 30, 2027, informed political sources told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

US Chargé d’Affaires Steven Fagin conveyed the warning to the Iraqi government and political figures during recent meetings in Baghdad, according to the sources. He expressed concern over the lack of tangible progress and continued threats from armed factions, citing reports of a recent attempted drone attack on the US Embassy in central Baghdad.

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Earlier Tuesday, a source familiar with the committee negotiating with armed factions told Shafaq News that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi had held separate talks with faction leaders opposed to surrendering their weapons. Several committee members, including Badr Organization leader Hadi Al-Ameri, objected, fearing that bypassing the committee could undermine its efforts. Despite the disagreements, negotiations have advanced, with the committee working toward the June 30 deadline set by Al-Zaidi.

Lawmaker Faleh Al-Khazali, head of the Montasiroun (Victorious) parliamentary bloc within the State of Law Coalition, previously identified Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada, Harakat Al-Nujaba, and Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya as factions prepared to place their weapons under state control if certain conditions were met, including the withdrawal of US and Turkish forces, the removal of Iranian opposition groups and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the dissolution of the Peshmerga, stronger Iraqi military capabilities, and restrictions on foreign aircraft using Iraqi airspace to strike Iran.

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