U.S. Envoy Barrack warns Iraq on faction arms as disarmament plan stalls

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during a meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 14, 2026. Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack concluded his second high-stakes diplomatic visit to Baghdad within a month, delivering blunt warnings to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi against allowing Iranian-aligned armed factions to drag Iraq into a regional military conflagration. According to an investigative report published by Al-Mada newspaper, Barrack participated directly in a high-level phone conference between President Donald Trump and Al-Zaidi—attended by U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Steven Fagin—wherein Washington firmly cautioned against Iraqi militias reviving their “Unity of Fronts” operational doctrine. The diplomatic pressure coincides with a severe domestic impasse surrounding Baghdad’s planned weapons-confinement initiative. Leaks obtained by Al-Mada confirm that several prominent armed factions formally notified Al-Zaidi of their refusal to surrender munitions at this juncture, citing the imminent risk of widespread conflict with Iran. The fissures deepened following the collapse of talks within the Shia “Coordination Framework” and the failure of its four-party committee, prompted by Al-Zaidi’s decision to personally steer the negotiations based on advice from U.S. officials, including Barrack. This operational divide was underscored on the ground by Iraqi security forces intercepting and arresting three Hashd al-Shaabi affiliates transporting 35 surface-to-surface rockets through Latifiyah, just south of Baghdad near the faction stronghold of Jurf al-Sakhar. Political analysts indicate that Washington is unwilling to accept Baghdad’s proposed compromise of “conditional disarmament,” which sought to store heavy weaponry within institutional depots in exchange for diplomatic guarantees regarding sovereignty and Turkish military presence. Political scientist Aqeel Abbas noted that the Trump administration demands full, unconditional state control over arms, warning that mid-term election dynamics could incentivize the White House to accelerate regional military action against Tehran before the new congressional term begins. Concurrently, foreign relations analyst Kato Saadallah highlighted that Barrack’s mission serves as an uncompromising gauge of the Iraqi cabinet’s capacity to uphold sovereign neutrality and restrain paramilitaries following the full withdrawal of U.S. military forces completed in late September.