Six Iran-aligned Iraqi factions said on Sunday that they refuse to discuss their weapons before what they described as the end of all forms of “occupation”, a veiled reference to the US military presence in the country. The statement came in response to growing calls to place all weapons under state control, particularly from Washington. The factions, which are aligned with Tehran and operate within the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF)— part of Iraq’s official security forces — have long demanded the withdrawal of US troops deployed as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group since 2014. The United States has maintained political and security influence in Iraq since its 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. In recent […]
