Washington Warns Iraqi Factions Could Be Targeted if They Join Renewed Conflict With Iran
Key Facts
Washington has warned that factions linked to Tehran could be targeted if they join a renewed confrontation with Iran, according to Iraqi government sources cited by Alhurra. The sources said the United States would not commit to coordinating with Baghdad in advance before carrying out strikes against those factions. The warning puts the Iraqi government on notice that a regional confrontation could spill onto its territory, as it seeks to bring armed groups under state authority. There has been no published official confirmation from the United States or Iraq of the sources' account. Baghdad, the White House and the US State Department also did not respond to Alhurra's requests for comment.
The warning is linked, according to reports of a possible renewal of confrontation between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, to concerns that Iraqi factions could join the fighting. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Baghdad's efforts to bring armed factions under state authority face a decisive test as concerns grow about a new war between Washington and Tehran. The possibility of factions operating inside Iraq makes crisis management more complex for the government: the challenge is not only to prevent Iraqi territory from being used in the confrontation, but also to deal with groups that have military capabilities. The absence of prior coordination means, according to the Iraqi sources' account to Alhurra, that Baghdad may not receive notice before any US strikes targeting those factions. Alhurra's report did not establish that potential strikes would be aerial, so the reported warning was limited to targeting the factions.
Asharq Al-Awsat quoted observers as saying that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government faces a delicate balance between keeping Iraq out of a new war and preserving its relations with Washington. That balance is becoming harder, the report said, because the factions retain military capabilities and the freedom to act independently of Baghdad. This leaves the government facing a challenge that goes beyond declaring a political position on the escalation: it must contend with the possibility that armed groups will not comply with the state's decision on whether to take part. The observers said this continued independence comes as Baghdad seeks to extend its control over weapons. In this context, the warning attributed to Iraqi sources signals that Washington links factional involvement in a renewed confrontation to targeting them, with potential implications for the government's ability to keep Iraq out of the conflict.
In a separate move reflecting Baghdad's efforts to bring weapons under state authority, the Iraqi government announced the dissolution of a Yazidi armed group in Sinjar district and the incorporation of its fighters into the official security forces, according to the Associated Press. The Sinjar Resistance Units command said the agreement ends its forces' independent military status and covers 4,165 male and female fighters from the units and the Sinjar Women's Resistance Units. The group said it had lost 530 fighters in battles to defend the area. But statements announcing the agreement provided no details on the process or timeline for integrating the fighters into the federal forces. The move illustrates efforts to integrate armed groups into state institutions, while other factions continue to hold on to their weapons.
The Associated Press said the Sinjar agreement came despite opposition from some of the most powerful armed factions. The agency reported that powerful Iran-backed factions said they did not intend to give up their weapons, particularly as a new round of escalation between Iran, the United States and Israel looms. The contrast underscores the difficulty of extending the Sinjar group's integration agreement to other armed groups, given differences in factional positions on surrendering weapons and the ongoing regional tensions. Meanwhile, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that US and Israeli reports had described plans to resume strikes on Iran after the US midterm elections on 3 November. The report said efforts to secure a ceasefire had reached an impasse.
An agreement brokered by Pakistan and Qatar in June sought to secure Iran's full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, end the US blockade of Iranian ports and begin broader negotiations on a settlement that included Iran's nuclear programme, according to the Associated Press. But the agreement quickly collapsed as attacks resumed on both sides, the agency said. The collapse leaves de-escalation efforts on fragile footing as concerns persist about a renewed confrontation and its repercussions for Iraq. On 23 October, the US State Department issued a Level 4 advisory for Iraq, saying anti-US militias threaten Americans and international businesses. The department added that improvised explosive device attacks, indirect fire and drone attacks occur in several areas, including major cities.