Reports: Iraq PM threatened to resign over militia disarmament

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has threatened to resign if Iran-aligned armed groups do not cooperate with his government’s efforts to bring all weapons under state control, according to reports citing political sources, highlighting the growing pressure on Baghdad to address one of its most difficult security challenges. According to sources, Al-Zaidi warned leaders of Iraq’s Shi’ite Coordination Framework that if armed groups did not react to government efforts to disarm and completely submit to state authority, he would stand down. IraqiNews.com was unable to independently verify the claims, and the Prime Minister’s office had no immediate response. According to the sources, Al-Zaidi has been more dissatisfied by what he sees as a lack of cooperation on one of his administration’s fundamental commitments: guaranteeing that all weapons stay solely under the control of the Iraqi government. The claims came days after US-Saudi airstrikes struck Iran-backed groups in Iraq in response to drone assaults on Saudi oil installations, which Riyadh said were launched from Iraqi territory. The bombings forced Al-Zaidi to call an emergency security conference, cancel a planned trip to Saudi Arabia, and unveil a new security strategy aimed at preventing Iraqi territory from being used to launch attacks on neighboring nations. Armed organizations have emerged as one of Al-Zaidi’s most pressing problems. Since entering office, he has attempted to solicit billions of dollars in foreign investment with trips to Washington, Tehran, and Ankara, while portraying Iraq as a stable location for oil, infrastructure, and technological projects. Analysts believe Baghdad’s economic objectives are strongly dependent on its ability to show that the state, not armed groups, controls Iraq’s security strategy. Repeated strikes conducted from Iraqi territory have strained ties with regional allies and risk weakening investor trust. According to Western diplomatic sources published by Asharq Al-Awsat, key Iraqi officials, including Al-Zaidi and members of Iraq’s security apparatus, have received threats in connection with the government’s attempts to restrict weaponry outside of state control. Unlike many regional leaders, Iraq’s prime minister leads by wide political agreement rather than a legislative majority, restricting his power to make unilateral choices. Major security and political changes usually need agreement among Iraq’s different political blocs. Al-Zaidi’s biggest power may not be the threat of resignation, but rather the international backing his administration has garnered as a result of recent accords with the United States, Turkey, and other allies. These agreements, which span energy, finance, technology, and infrastructure, have boosted hopes that Iraq will attract tens of billions of dollars in investment if security improves. Whether Al-Zaidi can translate that international momentum into domestic reforms will ultimately depend on gaining broader political support for his pledge to keep all weapons under Iraqi state control, which has become one of his government’s most closely watched tests.