Tehran signals support for Baghdad’s crackdown on armed militias

Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad has said that Tehran respects any decision taken by the Iraqi government regarding the state’s monopoly on weapons, as Iraq’s new cabinet intensifies efforts to rein in Iran-backed militia groups, Rudaw reports.

Mohammad Kazem al-Sadeq told the state-run Iraqi media that Baghdad’s move to limit weapons to state control is “an internal Iraqi matter,” adding that Iran “respects any decision the Iraqi government makes in this regard.”

However, he added that “we believe attention should be paid to the reasons that drive the armed factions in Iraq to want to keep their weapons, and that their voices should be heard and their concerns and fears addressed.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who took office last month, has made establishing a state monopoly on weapons a central pillar of his government program, pressing Iran-aligned factions either to disarm or integrate into the formal security apparatus. While some groups have complied, several of the more powerful Tehran-backed militias have so far refused to surrender their weapons.

The United States has urged Zaidi to accelerate the process. The push for disarmament has gained urgency following the outbreak of a conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States, which began on February 28 and concluded in early April after a ceasefire brokered with Pakistani mediation. The fighting spread across the region, with several Gulf states accusing Iraqi militia groups of launching attacks from Iraqi territory—allegations Baghdad says it is investigating.

When asked about the role of Iraqi armed factions in the broader conflict, the Iranian ambassador said  that “Iran did not ask any party to intervene, because it does not need to.”

Zaidi’s government has indicated that disarmament is a non-negotiable priority, even as key security posts—including the defense and interior ministries—remain unfilled. Those positions are seen as critical to enforcing any campaign to bring militias under state control.

The Iraqi prime minister is expected to visit Washington in mid-July for his first meeting with the Trump administration since taking office, with the militia issue likely to feature prominently alongside energy and investment discussions.

By Vafa Guliyeva