Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited Washington in July 2026 to discuss security and diplomatic relations with President Donald Trump. During the meeting, al-Zaidi committed to disarming paramilitary groups within Iraq that receive support from Iran, setting a deadline for the end of September 2026.
The agreement comes as Iraq navigates a diplomatic position between the United States and Iran. According to reports, several of these militias previously targeted U.S. military personnel during the occupation of Iraq. Following the U.S.-Iran war, these paramilitary organizations have continued to conduct strikes against U.S. assets in the region.
Prime Minister al-Zaidi’s pledge involves the decommissioning of groups that maintain close ties to neighboring Iran. The Iraqi government currently faces the task of balancing its security obligations to Washington with its long-standing economic and political relationship with Tehran.
For the Iraqi government, failing to meet the deadline could jeopardize military aid and diplomatic support from Washington. Conversely, aggressive moves against these groups could destabilize the internal political coalition that supports al-Zaidi, as many of these militias have integrated into Iraq’s political and security structures. The scale of this operation involves thousands of armed members across multiple organizations, though the exact number of personnel to be disarmed was not reported.
The next steps for the al-Zaidi administration involve implementing a strategy to transition these paramilitary groups into the formal state security apparatus or ensuring their full dissolution. Success or failure in this effort will set a precedent for how much influence the U.S. can exert over Iraqi internal security policy in the post-war period. The effectiveness of the plan will become clearer as the September deadline approaches and the government begins enforcement actions.