Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Iran-backed militias announce ‘conditional’ cease-fire against U.S. in Iraq

Iran-backed militias announce ‘conditional’ cease-fire against U.S. in Iraq

A group of Iran-backed militias said Sunday that it has agreed to a "conditional" cease-fire against U.S.-linked interests in Iraq on the condition that Washington present a timetable for the withdrawal of its troops.

The militias have plagued U.S.-linked diplomatic and military targets for months, firing rockets at embassies and bases and targeting Iraqis who drive logistics convoys serving the U.S.-led coalition.

The Trump administration has responded by threatening to shutter the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a move that Iraqi officials say will accelerate Iran’s ascent in the tug of war that the two countries have fought over Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.


Mohammed Mohie, a spokesman for the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah group, attends an interview with Reuters in Baghdad on Sunday.


Mohammed Mohie, a spokesman for the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah group, said Sunday that attacks would halt while the militias waited for the U.S.-led coalition to detail its timeline for full withdrawal. “But this truce is conditional, and the condition is that we will accept their retreat,” he said. He did not provide a timeline for the process.

Mohie said he spoke on behalf of the Iraqi Resistance Coordination Commission, a new body that announced itself with a similar statement Saturday. Neither Mohie’s comments nor the statement appeared to have come in consultation with the U.S.-backed force to which it referred. The U.S.-backed force did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

It was unclear how many groups the new body represented.

Iraq’s parliament urged the expulsion of U.S. troops in January, after President Trump ordered the killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Soleimani had been a talismanic figure for Iraq’s militias. Also killed in that strike was Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

The strike sent tensions between Washington and Tehran soaring. Iraqis braced for the confrontation.

Since then, the U.S.-led coalition has departed from smaller bases across Iraq and promised to reduce its troop presence from 5,200 to 3,000. Although the coalition officially attributes that move to the Iraqi military’s increased capacity to take on what remains of the Islamic State militant group, senior officials have acknowledged that it came in response to concerns about the heightened risk of attacks by Iran-backed militias.

In the event that the U.S.-led coalition does not provide clarity on its timeline for withdrawal, Mohie said, the militia factions would use “all weapons available to them.”

Kataib Hezbollah is one of a handful of powerful Iran-backed groups that have served as part of Iraq’s conventional security forces since helping Iraqi and coalition forces defeat the Islamic State in the country.

But in recent months, apparent splinter groups have taken responsibility for rocket and roadside bomb attacks. Western officials in Baghdad say these are probably front groups for elements within the larger Iran-backed groups, allowing the latter to avoid retaliatory U.S. attacks.

It was unclear whether the weekend’s announcements had altered that playbook.

Iraq’s military reported Sunday that an Iraqi convoy carrying logistics equipment for the coalition was targeted with an improvised explosive device, this time on the highway between Samawah and Diwaniyah in the south.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×