Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias may hand in weapons to state following Israeli threats – report

The militias have long resisted this threat to their independence.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Leaders of several pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have signaled a possible willingness to hand over their weapons to state authorities following Israeli threats against them, the Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat reported Saturday.

According to the report, the heads of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, the Imam Ali Brigades, and Ansar Allah al-Awfiya said they support the Iraqi government’s demand that armed factions relinquish their independence and transfer their weapons to the state, and that they will attempt to implement the move “in the near future.”

Asharq al-Awsat cited sources saying Baghdad received two warnings that Israel was preparing an imminent and extensive military assault in Iraq.

An unnamed Arab country first alerted Iraqi officials that Israel was planning a pinpoint missile strike similar to the September operation in Doha, Qatar, which targeted a meeting of senior Hamas officials.

Although that strike failed, it was widely credited with prompting Qatar to pressure Hamas to accept the Trump administration’s Gaza cease-fire plan, signed on Oct. 10.

“The threat level is very serious and Israel is now talking about having received the green light from the Americans to act unilaterally,” the paper quoted the country’s official as warning.

Several days later, the paper said, a Western intelligence agency confirmed that Israel was about to launch a wide-scale operation.

Several days later, a Western intelligence agency reportedly confirmed that Israel was preparing a wide-scale operation.

According to the report, it provided Iraqi officials with an Israeli intelligence file containing extensive information on the militias, seemingly underscoring Israel’s detailed knowledge of the proxies and their vulnerabilities.

Earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy on Syria Tom Barrack reportedly warned Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani that Israel would carry out a “harsh” strike if Iranian-aligned factions in Iraq attempted to support Hezbollah in Lebanon, either militarily or financially.

Although Iraq denied the Saudi report regarding warnings over an Israeli attack, Baghdad has demanded for months that such militias either disband or integrate into the regular armed forces.

Critics say the move is aimed at placating the United States, which has long pressed for the militias’ dismantlement and has designated several of them as terrorist organizations.

Despite this, the groups wield significant political power, with their Shiite “Coordination Framework” bloc winning a parliamentary majority in November’s elections.

Washington has made clear it does not want the militias represented in the government now being formed.

An unnamed State Department spokesperson told The Arab Weekly, “Iraqi leaders know well what is and is not compatible with a strong U.S.-Iraq partnership.”

Even if some militias comply with the government’s demand, other powerful Iranian proxies in Iraq have declared they will not relinquish their weapons until the American military presence is completely removed from the country.

y removed from the country.