Shafaq News – Washington (Updated at 12:16)

A senior US Republican lawmaker said on Wednesday that future American security assistance to Iraq could be conditioned on Baghdad taking concrete steps against “Iran-backed militias,” as new draft language in the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) comes amid a tightening of congressional policy.

The proposed limitations do not apply to US security assistance allocated to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Representative Joe Wilson said Congress is preparing to include binding provisions in the NDAA that would, for the first time, link US aid to Iraq’s security forces to efforts to halt support for factions aligned with Tehran.

His remarks come as a US House of Representatives document on the draft 2026 NDAA calls on War Secretary Pete Hegseth to impose restrictions on funds allocated to Iraq unless the government demonstrates credible steps to curb the influence of armed groups, including Iran-aligned factions such as the Badr Organization led by Hadi Al-Ameri.

Wilson praised President Donald Trump and his Special Envoy to Iraq, Mark Savaya, for pressing what he described as a tougher approach toward Baghdad.

He accused Iran of exerting sweeping control over Iraq’s military, judiciary, police, and political system, warned that Congress would not “issue blank checks forever,” and urged Baghdad to halt the financing of armed factions, end illicit financial transfers to Tehran, permanently disarm groups, and respect the security of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).