Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Sunday, Apr 26, 2026

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
News Roundup
Strategic Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Security Concerns as Trump Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Keeps Red Sea Oil Exports Flowing Despite Regional Tensions
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
Saudi Business Leader Abudawood Appointed Chairman of Merit Incentives Group
TotalEnergies Confirms Damage at Saudi Refinery Following Security Incident
Saudi Arabia Launches Early Construction Phase for King Salman Stadium Project
Saudi Shift Away from Longstanding Dollar Oil Framework Gains Attention Amid Iran Conflict
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Resolve Long-Running Transit Visa Dispute
Saudi Oil Capacity and Pipeline Flows Reduced as Supply Risks Intensify
TotalEnergies Reports Damage to Saudi SATORP Refinery Following Security Incidents
Gulf States Assess Prospects of U.S.-Iran Truce as Regional Stability Efforts Intensify
South Korea Resumes Honey Exports to Saudi Arabia Following Sanitary Approval
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Sentences in Eastern Province Following Security Convictions
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Backs King Street’s Regional Credit Strategy
Saudi Arabia Secures World Cup Return as Egypt Celebrates Landmark Qualification
Iran and Saudi Arabia Intensify Diplomatic Engagement Amid Regional Tensions
Russia and Saudi Arabia Open Visa-Free Travel Corridor for Citizens
Saudi Oil Output Capacity Reduced by 600,000 Barrels Per Day Amid Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Suspends Operations at Select Energy Sites as Precautionary Measure
Saudi Arabia Halts Operations at Multiple Energy Facilities Amid Heightened Tensions
Global Markets Jolt as Iran Signals Ceasefire Breakdown and Rising Regional Tensions
King Street Aligns with Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund to Expand Alternative Investments in Middle East
Attack on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Hub Raises Global Supply Concerns
Debate Emerges Over Saudi Strategic Decisions as Gulf Cooperation Council Dynamics Come Into Focus
Saudi Arabia Expands Full Workforce Localisation to 69 Professions in Major Labour Reform
Emerging Alliance of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia Signals New Regional Power Dynamic Amid Iran Conflict
Iran Linked to Strikes Across Gulf States Following Refinery Attack Escalation
Saudi Arabia Voices Concern Over Fragile US–Iran Ceasefire Stability
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
Saudi Arabia’s Key East-West Oil Pipeline Targeted Following Ceasefire Announcement
Iran Targets Saudi Arabia’s East-West Oil Pipeline in Escalating Regional Tensions
Trump Warns of Civilizational Stakes as Iran Halts Negotiations
Saudi Companies Expand Remote Work Measures Ahead of Iran-Related Security Concerns
Iran Warns of Strikes on Saudi Energy Infrastructure if US Targets Its Facilities
Iran Urges Civilians to Form Human Shields Around Nuclear Sites as Diplomatic Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices to Record Premiums Amid Supply Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Key Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Heightened Security Concerns Linked to Iran
Formula One Calendar Gap Explained as Fans Await Next Grand Prix
Growing Strain on the Petrodollar System Comes Into Focus Amid Iran Conflict
Reported Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Complex Raises Global Energy Supply Concerns
FedEx Introduces New Digital Tool to Streamline Imports into Saudi Arabia
Iran Claims Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Complex Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Taiwan to Source Oil Shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Ports
Saudi Arabia Evacuates Riyadh Financial District as Precaution Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Balances Ambitious Economic Vision Amid Regional Tensions and Financial Pressures
Budget Saudi Arabia Reports Strong Full-Year 2025 Financial Performance
Saudi Arabia Expands Investment in Capcom With Stake Reaching Six Percent
Saudi Arabia Assesses Significant Economic Impact From Regional Conflict Involving Iran
US Beef Secures Expanded Market Access in Saudi Arabia
×