[IsraelAlma] The deadline set by the Iraqi government for Iran-aligned militias to surrender their weapons is approaching, and a series of reports published over the past week appear to indicate a gradual shift from declarations and negotiations to operational measures on the ground. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government is demanding that the weapons be handed over to the state by September 30, the date also set for the end of the international coalition forces’ presence in Iraq. The government is threatening confrontation with organizations that refuse to cooperate.
Nevertheless, it is too early to conclude that Iraq is on the path toward fully dismantling the pro-Iranian militia network. While some militias have shown a degree of willingness to integrate into state institutions or surrender at least some of their weapons, the more hardline organizations continue to resist the process. At the same time, reports of a shift in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ operational methods raise the possibility that Iran is preparing to preserve a covert and independent capability in Iraq, even if the large military formations are reduced or formally dismantled. The significance of this process extends beyond the Iraqi arena: in recent years, Iraq’s pro-Iranian militias have actively participated in the regional conflict and carried out numerous drone and cruise missile launches against Israel and the Gulf states.
More at the link