U.S. Pressures Iraq to Dismantle Resistance Factions Amid Gaza War Fallout
Tensions escalate as Washington demands action against Iraqi armed groups, while Iran warns of direct retaliation to any Israeli strike on Iraqi soil.
Watan-In a new and serious escalation, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on March 21 that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanded that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani dismantle the Shiite armed factions known as the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” during a phone call.
According to the report, this demand is among the top priorities of President Donald Trump’s administration, which views these factions as a direct threat to U.S. interests in the region—especially after their drone and rocket attacks on Israeli targets over the past 18 months in retaliation for Israel’s ongoing massacres in Gaza.
Although the Iraqi government informed the American side that it is working on resolving the issue through dialogue with the factions, Washington insists on “decisive” steps to end the presence of these groups on the ground.
Direct Israeli Threats to Iraq
Coinciding with Israel’s ending of the Gaza ceasefire and its killing of over 700 Palestinians in a single day, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein revealed that Iraq had received direct Israeli threats to target its territory. He stated that Baghdad has moved diplomatically to avoid being drawn into a military confrontation with the “Zionist occupation,” despite intense pressure.
U.S. Accusations and Iranian Support
Iraqi MP Mohammed Anouz accused the United States of fabricating excuses to “blackmail” Baghdad, while Israel continues to threaten Iraq without any Arab deterrence.
Amid these tensions, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, paid a surprise visit to Baghdad, where he met with leaders of the Coordination Framework, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and resistance factions. He conveyed clear messages from Tehran, stating that any Israeli strike on Iraqi territory will be met with a direct Iranian response.
Stance of Saraya al-Salam and Muqtada al-Sadr
Amid the growing pressure, Sheikh Tahsin al-Hamaydawi, Jihad deputy of Saraya al-Salam, issued a statement confirming they had received strict instructions from Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr to prohibit bearing arms inside or outside Iraq, stressing the need to refer to religious authorities in case of any external aggression against the country.
Al-Sadr, for his part, condemned the Israeli aggression on Gaza and criticized the world’s silence, warning that this silence will empower Zionism to expand until it reaches Iraq’s borders.
Direct U.S. Threat
According to Shafaq News Agency, the U.S. Secretary of Defense warned the Iraqi Prime Minister that any support from resistance factions to Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthis) would be met with a swift American military response inside Iraq, similar to past U.S. actions during the Lebanon and Gaza wars.
This warning came after Yemeni forces targeted the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman twice within 24 hours, in response to U.S.-British airstrikes that killed 51 and injured 100 in Yemen.
Yemen Factions Defy the U.S. and Israel
Yemeni forces continue to target Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea and launch drone attacks on Israeli targets, as part of their retaliation for the massacres in Gaza—raising fears that Iraq could become a frontline in a wider regional confrontation.
Iraq at a Crossroads
Amid these developments, Iraq stands at a critical crossroads: either yield to American and Israeli pressure, or escalate and risk being drawn into a full-scale regional war that could threaten its internal stability.
