Shafaq News – Washington

The United States called on Iraq to dismantle Iran-backed armed groups operating on its soil, warning that their actions undermine national sovereignty.

A State Department spokesperson told Shafaq News on Saturday that “Iran-aligned militias’ operations within Iraq need to end,” describing them as “violent and destabilizing activities that threaten Americans and Iraqis.”

“We urge the Iraqi government to disarm, disempower, and dismantle these terrorist militias that have no role in keeping Iraq secure and only serve to harm Iraqi sovereignty,” the spokesperson added.

Iraq officially recognizes the national army and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). While the PMF is legally part of the state's armed forces, many of its key factions operate under the banner of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” aligned with Iran’s regional “Axis of Resistance,” which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, and positions itself against US and Israeli interests in the region.

The United States has repeatedly urged Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed groups. The recently appointed US Special Envoy to Iraq, Mark Savaya, stressed on Thursday that “there is no place” for factions acting outside state control, emphasizing that Iraq has made “important progress” in restoring state authority and limiting foreign influence.

For Shafaq News, Mostafa Hashem, Washington D.C.

Read more: Why Iraq’s PMF disarmament is a different battle from Lebanon’s Hezbollah