Iraq’s recently elected Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi issued a public demand Wednesday for all armed groups operating in the country to place themselves under government control, as the United States maintains pressure on Baghdad to reduce the power of Iran-backed militias.
A statement from al-Zaidi’s media office said the prime minister is pushing armed factions to operate “under the umbrella of the state and its official institutions.”
His announcement followed a declaration by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that his military wing, Saraya al-Salam, which is also called the Peace Brigades, would break away from his political movement and become part of government institutions.
Al-Sadr proclaimed “the complete separation” of his armed group from his political party and its “full integration into the state.”
The cleric has a history of leading an armed faction that battled American and Iraqi government forces. In more recent years, he has spoken out against Tehran-supported armed groups and has consistently demanded they give up their weapons.
Al-Zaidi’s stance demonstrates increasing pressure from Washington on Iraq’s government to restrict the activities of militias that function outside the state’s military command structure.
The New Arab reports that the Trump administration has maintained its push for Baghdad to control Iran-aligned factions and has connected future defense cooperation and funding to efforts to diminish the power of groups operating independently of the government.
The Iraqi prime minister appealed “on all armed factions to follow the same responsible national path and operate under the umbrella of the state and its official institutions.”
