Iran-backed militias in Iraq, including the Kataib Hezbollah group, have expressed their readiness to lay down their arms to prevent an escalation of the conflict with the United States, Reuters reported, citing informed sources. The decision was a response to Washington's tough stance, which, after Donald Trump took office as President in early 2025, issued an ultimatum to the Iraqi government. The American administration demanded that Baghdad ensure the disarmament of pro-Iranian militias, threatening otherwise to use military force, including airstrikes on their positions.

The negotiating process between the Iraqi prime minister and the leaders of the groups has already yielded initial results. One of the Kataib Hezbollah commanders told Reuters that Trump’s new policy shows the US’s readiness to take the conflict to a qualitatively new level. “We are trying to avoid such a development,” he stressed, pointing to the militias’ desire to prevent a full-scale clash. This step reflects the pragmatic approach of the groups, which, despite historical support from Tehran, have found themselves under pressure from both external threats and internal political realities in Iraq.

The situation in Iraq remains extremely tense, and disarmament talks are acquiring strategic importance. In March of this year, US troops increased their presence at bases in the western part of the country, and the Pentagon carried out a series of demonstrative flights of fighter jets over territories controlled by militias. According to analysts, Washington views the disarmament of pro-Iranian forces as a key step in reducing Tehran’s influence in the region. At the same time, Baghdad has found itself in a difficult situation, trying to balance between US demands and pressure from Iran, which remains an important economic and political partner. The Iraqi government initiated closed consultations with Tehran in early April to agree on a possible reduction in support for the militias, but Iran has not yet given an official response. Experts predict that the success of the talks could lead to a reformatting of the power landscape in Iraq, although the risk of internal resistance from radical elements within the groups themselves remains.