Prime Minister al-Zaidi Confronts Militia Opposition in Efforts to Assert Control

Iraq’s new prime minister has encountered substantial pushback as he works to integrate Iran-aligned militias into state authority, amid longstanding pressure from the U.S. to dismantle these outside-the-govt forces.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi assumed office in late April, following the U.S. ceasing dollar transfers from Iraqi oil revenues and halting security funding. These actions aligned with U.S. calls for dismantling autonomous militias.

Iraq has long acted as a proxy arena between its U.S. and Iran backers, complicating domestic stability efforts.

While past attempts to control militias failed, al-Zaidi’s decree—issued in late May—demanded all armed groups submit to state authority. Prominent Iran-linked groups, including Kataib Hezbollah responsible for recent attacks on U.S. targets and a journalist kidnap, rejected the mandate.

The directive avoided U.S.-demanded full disbandment, drawing skepticism from analysts who view it as superficial without concrete enforcement mechanisms.

“This is symbolic spectacle,” noted Chatham House’s Renad Mansour. “The core issue lies in implementation details, which remain fragmented.”

Iraq’s Shiite majority gained power post-2003 U.S. invasion, with increasing Iran ties. A 2014 umbrella group—the People’s Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.)—originally countered ISIS with Iran-backed Shiite militias. Though pledging integration with national security forces, many units like Kataib Hezbollah retain operational autonomy.

Some factions, including radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Peace Brigades, pledged full military integration.

Opponents—primarily U.S.-critical militias—demand U.S. withdrawal from Iraq’s security and political affairs.

The Guardians of the Blood Brigade, another Iran-linked group, insisted tighter control requires safeguarding Iraq’s sovereignty.

These developments unfold amid Iraq’s rare economic stability and relative peace from wider Middle Eastern conflicts. However, the U.S.-Israeli military escalation against Iran late February pulled Iran-linked militias into regional hostilities.

Since then, these groups have targeted U.S. installations in Iraq, including the Baghdad Embassy, retaliating for a strike that killed three militia members.

Simultaneously, Iraq’s political transition faced added pressure from the Trump administration, which threatened ending aid unless a Iran-aligned figure bypassed al-Zaidi. This shift reversed prior U.S. support for a Shiite leader whose Iran ties had become a flashpoint.

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