Hegseth Urges Iraq to Disarm Iran-Backed Militias After Meeting Prime Minister

15/07/2026

Hegseth Urges Iraq to Disarm Iran-Backed Militias After Meeting Prime Minister

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, Sunday, June 22, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program. (AP)

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WASHINGTON, Jul 15: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday called on Iraq to disarm Iran-backed militias following a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the Pentagon.

In a post on X, Hegseth said Iraq must assert its sovereignty by disarming militias he blamed for carrying out more than 600 attacks on U.S. personnel this spring.

He also said the United States expects the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga and other security forces in the Kurdistan Region, to take the lead in operations against ISIS as the Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) military mission winds down.

Hegseth added that a secure Iraq would pave the way for stronger commercial and defense cooperation between the two countries.