Al-Nujaba rejects any post-Coalition US presence in Iraq
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Harakat Al-Nujaba*, one of Iraq’s most hardline Iran-backed factions, warned on Thursday against any continued US presence in the country following the formal end of the US-led Coalition’s military mission.
“We warn against their presence on our land in any form, whether as security companies, advisers or otherwise,” Al-Nujaba said in a statement, crediting armed resistance with pressuring Washington to withdraw.
The group also urged Baghdad to reduce the size of the US Embassy and conduct relations with Washington “on an equal footing.” Other demands included ending what the faction characterized as American influence over Iraq’s economy and political affairs, US military flights through Iraqi airspace, and troop deployments near the country’s borders in Syria, Jordan, and Kuwait.
Read more: Coalition mission ends, factions keep their weapons
Al-Nujaba portrayed the Coalition’s departure as fulfilling a commitment to slain Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and former Popular Mobilization Forces deputy chief Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis. At the same time, it pledged continued support for Iraq’s security forces, maintaining that its goal is an independent and secure country.
Baghdad formally announced on Wednesday that the Coalition’s campaign against ISIS had ended, with Iraqi forces assuming full responsibility for national security. The Pentagon also confirmed the conclusion of Operation Inherent Resolve and the departure of Coalition personnel and equipment from Erbil Air Base under the September 2024 US-Iraq agreement. Iraq-US security cooperation will continue bilaterally through intelligence sharing, training, and arms support.
Other Iraqi armed factions, including Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, Ashab Ahl Al-Kahf, and Kataib Hezbollah, similarly attributed the withdrawal to armed resistance. Some have rejected calls to surrender their weapons and threatened to target foreign troops on the ground or in the air.
Read more: Iraqi factions hail US exit, some threatens attacks
* Harakat Al-Nujaba is led by Akram Al-Kaabi, a US-designated figure, and belongs to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose coalition of Iran-aligned factions focused on driving US forces out of the country. Unlike allied groups such as Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, whose Sadiqoun bloc holds 27 parliamentary seats, or Kataib Hezbollah, which runs the six-seat Hoqooq bloc, Al-Nujaba has no registered political wing or seats in the Council of Representatives.
