Iraq sets September 30 for US-led coalition exit as Al-Zaidi turns focus to Iran-linked militia weapons

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has reaffirmed Sept. 30 as the end date for the US-led coalition’s military mission in Iraq, putting more pressure on Baghdad to confront what could be the most difficult aspect of its sovereignty agenda: bringing weapons held by powerful Iran-aligned factions under state control. During a meeting with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, Al-Zaidi said that October 1 will signal the beginning of a “new phase” for Iraq in the absence of a foreign coalition military presence. The Prime Minister again emphasized the importance of the Iraqi state having exclusive control over weaponry, citing sovereignty, security, and economic growth. Iraqi authorities said plans are already beginning to hand over remaining coalition locations, notably those in northern Iraq, to Iraqi security forces before the deadline. The timeline is based on a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington to end the coalition mission and transition the US-Iraq security partnership to direct bilateral cooperation. However, the departure eliminates one of the primary justifications used by Iran-backed militias to preserve their weapons and strike US objectives. Several prominent Iran-aligned factions work inside or alongside the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), who are officially part of Iraq’s governmental security system. The PMF is made up of various groups with varying political and ideological perspectives, and it should not be viewed as a unified bloc. However, organizations like Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, and other Iran-aligned militias have maintained strong ties with Tehran and have rejected calls to relinquish their weapons. Their actions have become an increasingly severe issue for Al-Zaidi’s administration. Recent strikes ascribed by neighboring governments to Iran-backed forces operating from Iraqi soil have jeopardized Baghdad’s improved ties with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, as well as led to foreign military intervention in Iraq. The escalation has put Baghdad in a difficult position: denouncing breaches of Iraqi sovereignty while also facing demands from its neighbors to prohibit armed groups from exploiting Iraqi territory to threaten them. For Al-Zaidi, the September 30 withdrawal may fundamentally alter that equation. Once the coalition mission is over, Iran-aligned elements will find it more difficult to justify maintaining autonomous military capabilities by citing the presence of foreign soldiers. Baghdad will then have to decide whether it can impose its notion of a single armed authority in Iraq. That problem is especially critical since Al-Zaidi is aiming to shift Iraq’s focus from decades of war and proxy conflict to rebuilding, investment, and closer economic ties with the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, and other foreign allies. Repeated militia assaults risk undercutting that plan by raising investor anxiety and subjecting Iraq to reprisal for military choices that its government claims were not authorized. The coalition’s exit therefore means more than just the removal of foreign troops. It might serve as the catalyst for a far wider debate over who eventually controls Iraq’s armaments and war-making choices. Baghdad will find it easy to declare complete sovereignty on October 1. Demonstrating it will be far more difficult. If Al-Zaidi is serious about guaranteeing that no foreign military presence stays in Iraq, the same sovereignty concept will increasingly be expected to apply to armed forces whose allegiance, weapons, or choices are not under the control of the Iraqi state. Bringing such weapons under state control might prove to be one of the most important—and difficult—tests of Al-Zaidi’s leadership. The post Iraq sets September 30 for US-led coalition exit as Al-Zaidi turns focus to Iran-linked militia weapons appeared first on Iraqi News.