U.S.-backed effort to disarm Iran-linked militias in Iraq faces setbacks

A U.S.backed effort to bring Iraq’s Iranlinked militias under state control is encountering resistance, according to Iraqi officials and Middle East experts. The dispute centers on whether the Popular Mobilization Units, or PMU, should disarm by a lateSeptember deadline or be folded into government institutions. Iraqi security adviser Qasim alAraji said in late August that Sept. 30 was the date for the international coalition’s departure, not a deadline to surrender weapons. That statement appeared to soften earlier government messaging that all arms would come under state authority. Prime Minister Ali alZaidi has said the government wants to restrict weapons to the state and avoid any confrontation. Some militia factions, including groups aligned with Iran, have said they will not disarm. Others, such as groups tied to cleric Muqtada alSadr, have shown more openness to integration. Analysts say the government’s efforts have been weakened by the militias’ influence inside state institutions and their willingness to challenge authorities. The article also notes continued U.S. pressure on Iranbacked networks through sanctions and broader counterterrorism policy. But observers say recent events, including the transfer of a detained PMU intelligence figure back to militia control, suggest that Baghdad’s push to rein in armed groups remains uncertain.