Iraq moves to put off militia disarmament until June 2027 while US moves out
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged to disarm Iran-backed militias by June 2027 as the U.S. prepares to withdraw its forces. The move is part of a broader effort to stabilize the region and restructure the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership.
Why it matters
The timeline for militia disarmament and the U.S. withdrawal are critical factors in the future stability of Iraq and the broader Middle East security landscape.
Iraq Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is in New York City for the UN General Assembly. A New York Times article on the latest developments in Iraq noted that “Iraq's prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, pledged to disarm his country's Iran-backed militias by June 2027.” This is concerning because it essentially kicks the can down the road on militia disarmament.The new developments regarding the militias come as the US is leaving Iraq on September 30. Zaidi wants to restructure the US relationship and make it strategic. Iraq is being pressured to cut off Iran amid US sanctions. Now, Zaidi has said that there may be a 90-day period where the militias stop their attacks. Once that ends, they will hand over arms. This creates a lot of variables that can go wrong.Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Zaidi.
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