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| Iraq |
| Iraqi powerful armed factions conditionally agree to weapons restriction deal under red lines |
| 2026-10-18 |
| [NewRegion] Powerful Iran-backed groups operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have agreed to a deal to bring their weapons under state control, contingent on Baghdad and Washington fulfilling their obligations under the deal, Ali al-Assadi, political council chief of the prominent faction Harakat al-Nujaba, told The New Region. In an exclusive video interview with The New Region earlier this week, Assadi detailed the four armed factions involved in the talks, their conditions for the agreement, and the commitments they had accepted. The deal’s broad outlines include the handover of the factions’ entire weapons stockpile, including ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones, and determining the future of their fighters. Negotiations are ongoing, and the deal’s implementation hinges on the parties involved honoring their mutual commitments, according to Assadi. “None [of the factions] have been left out, including Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba,” Assadi said. “The agreement involves all four factions.” Harakat al-Nujaba is a crucial component of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella of Iran-backed Shiite factions that are linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s broader “Axis of Resistance.” Alongside Nujaba, the other main factions are Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, in addition to other smaller groups. The Iraqi government has launched a renewed drive to bring weapons under state control, an initiative that has met fierce defiance from the IRI’s factions, namely Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba. Tensions brought the factions and Baghdad to the brink of armed confrontation in August, before a mutually acceptable agreement was struck. The agreement was mediated by the Coordination Framework, Iraq’s ruling Shiite political alliance that also includes many Iran-backed political forces. Asadi said that the Framework acted as an intermediary between Baghdad and the armed factions through representatives of both sides. Assadi’s account sheds new light on the factions’ positions on the agreement and contradicts earlier statements by Iraqi and US officials which had suggested that Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba had remained outside the negotiations. More at the link Related: Harakat al-Nujaba: 2026-10-16 Pro-Iran armed group says Iraq weapons agreement still at 'square one' Harakat al-Nujaba: 2026-09-07 US withdrawal from Iraq includes defense systems: Senior Iraqi official Harakat al-Nujaba: 2026-08-28 US rejects Iran-backed Iraq groups' proposal to freeze arms: Sources Related: Kataib Hezbollah: 2026-10-17 Iraq’s militias are adjusting for a new era, not going away Kataib Hezbollah: 2026-10-16 Pro-Iran armed group says Iraq weapons agreement still at 'square one' Kataib Hezbollah: 2026-08-13 Baghdad is moving to encircle the positions of factions run by the 'Revolutionary Guard' without clashes Related: Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada: 2026-10-04 Iran-aligned militia leader says Kurdistan Region should not be concerned about US military withdrawal Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada: 2026-08-13 Baghdad is moving to encircle the positions of factions run by the 'Revolutionary Guard' without clashes Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada: 2026-03-22 Airstrikes Target Iraq’s Disputed Territories and Sunni Heartland, Not the Shia-Dominated South Related: Ansar Allah al-Awfiya: 2026-05-29 Iran-backed militia leader killed in car bombing in Iraq Ansar Allah al-Awfiya: 2026-04-28 US ramps up hunt with $10M reward for Iran-aligned armed group leader Ansar Allah al-Awfiya: 2026-03-22 Airstrikes Target Iraq’s Disputed Territories and Sunni Heartland, Not the Shia-Dominated South |
| Posted by:badanov |