Kadhimi’s government moves to cut off Iran's arms in Iraq

The Iraqi government has made intensive moves to confront the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and stop the danger they pose. After the initial stages of confusion witnessed in Iraq and the militias’ insistence on trying to embarrass new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi before the international community, the Iraqi prime minister announced the beginning of direct operations to prevent those seeking to spread chaos and fear in the country.

On Thursday, June 25, the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) raided the headquarters of the Iraqi Kata’ib Hezbollah in the Dora neighborhood in southern Baghdad and arrested 13 elements, including three leaders. The militia had six missiles they intended to launch towards the Green Zone. The arrested leaders were handed over to the US Army.

Kata’ib Hezbollah's threats

This latest raid caused an imbalance within the militia and led its members to take to the streets to pressure the security forces to release the detainees.

Kata’ib Hezbollah vowed to target the Iraqi prime minister, and the militia’s security official, Abu Ali Al-Askari, accused Kadhimi of negligence for “his participation in the murder” of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) deputy commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Observers believe that the qualitative Iraqi operations against armed militias from Iran may be the beginning of implementing the most important provisions of Kadhimi’s government program, which aims to confine arms to the state.

US-Iranian tensions

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated the conflict within Iraq. Since October 2019, more than 33 missiles from Iran have targeted Iraqi facilities hosting diplomats or foreign soldiers, including six attacks over the past two weeks.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran reached a climax in January, when the United States targeted Soleimani and Muhandis in an air strike in Baghdad that killed them. In response, pro-Iranian members of Iraq’s parliament voted to end the presence of foreign forces in the country, while Washington threatened to impose severe sanctions on Baghdad.

The frequency of missile attacks had slowed dramatically since March, but as the United States and Iraq started bilateral talks, they intensified again. On June 11, talks were launched aimed at setting a framework for the presence of US forces in Iraq and strengthening economic and cultural relations. Washington pledged to continue to reduce the number of its soldiers in the country, who numbered about 5,200 last year, while Iraq pledged to protect military personnel in the Washington-led coalition against ISIS stationed in Iraq.