Senior Iraqi Commanders Under Iranian Support Declare Readiness for Disarmament Amid Trump Administration Pressure

Senior Iraqi commanders under Iranian support have announced their readiness for disarmament in the face of the Trump administration.

According to published reports, 10 senior Iraqi commanders and officials from powerful paramilitary groups under Iranian support have, in an unprecedented move, announced for the first time their readiness for disarmament in the face of the Trump administration to prevent the danger of escalated conflict.

Following repeated warnings from the Donald Trump administration to the Iraqi government that “if Iraq does not act to dissolve the paramilitary groups operating on its soil, it will be subject to American air strikes,” six local commanders from four paramilitary groups have announced their readiness for disarmament in order to reduce tensions in the region.

“Azzat al-Shabandar,” a senior Shia politician who is also among those close to Iraq’s ruling coalition, commented on this decision: “Negotiations between Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani and several paramilitary leaders have advanced significantly, and these groups are willing to respond positively to American requests for disarmament. We do not act stubbornly and do not insist on continuing operations in their current form. These groups are fully aware that they may become targets of American attacks.”

Six military commanders from the aforementioned four paramilitary groups, who did not want their names revealed, are from the groups “Kata’ib Hezbollah,” “Al-Nujaba,” “Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada,” and “Ansar Allah al-Awfiya.” One commander from the Kata’ib Hezbollah group appeared in a conversation with Reuters news network wearing a black mask and sunglasses and said: “Trump is ready to take the war with us to worse levels; we know this and want to prevent such a bad scenario.”

Two security officials overseeing paramilitary activities in Iraq, who had repeatedly launched missile and drone attacks against Israel and American forces in Iraq and Syria since the beginning of the Gaza war, stated: “The aforementioned paramilitary groups consist of approximately 10 hardline Shia armed groups operating within the framework of the ‘Iraqi Islamic Resistance’ coalition and collectively possess approximately 50,000 armed personnel as well as an arsenal of long-range missiles and anti-aircraft weapons.”

In addition, some paramilitaries have, out of fear of air strikes by the Trump administration after coming to power, evacuated large portions of their headquarters since late January and have also reduced their presence in major cities including “Mosul” and “Anbar.”

The aforementioned two security officials also added: “Al-Sudani is pressuring the disarmament of Islamic Resistance paramilitary groups that, instead of loyalty to Baghdad, have pledged allegiance to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or the Quds Force.”

“Farhad Alaaldin,” al-Sudani’s foreign affairs advisor, said about disarmament negotiations: “The Prime Minister is committed to ensuring through constructive dialogue with various national actors that all weapons in Iraq are brought under state control.”

The U.S. State Department, while emphasizing its demand from Baghdad to bring paramilitaries under control, added: “These forces must answer to the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, not to Iran.”

“Ibrahim al-Sumaidaie,” former advisor to al-Sudani, also said on this matter: “America has long been pressuring Iraqi leadership to dismantle Shia paramilitaries; but this time Washington may not accept a negative response. If we do not cooperate voluntarily, this may be imposed on us from outside and by force.”