Iran plans to weaken Kurdish forces in Iraq to prevent disarmament of militias, mantain control

Iraq's new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, backed by the US, is attempting to disarm Iranian-backed militias and bring their weapons under state control. In response, these militias, including Kata'ib Hezbollah, are employing tactics to resist disarmament. They claim their weapons are already under state control as part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an official paramilitary.

• The militias are also demanding that the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq be disarmed, aiming to complicate the disarmament efforts.
• Kata'ib Hezbollah's Abu Mujahid al-Assaf warned the prime minister against “provocative and irresponsible actions,” stating, “Our patience is beginning to run out regarding the provocative and irresponsible actions of the prime minister.”
• This strategy is part of Iran's broader agenda to weaken the Kurdistan Regional Government and maintain its influence in Iraq by creating divisions and asserting that their militias deserve similar status to the Peshmerga.