Iran-backed militias in Iraq have expressed their willingness to disarm to avoid a possible military conflict with the United States, Reuters sources said.
According to them, the move is an attempt to ease tensions, which followed warnings from the administration of former US President Donald Trump to the Iraqi government. Washington has privately informed Baghdad that if the militant groups operating in the country do not disarm, the United States may launch air strikes targeting these forces.
Izzat Al-Shabandar, a Shiite politician close to Iraq's ruling coalition, told Reuters that talks between Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani and leaders of several militant groups have "advanced significantly" and that the groups have generally agreed to disarm.
"They are not stubborn in maintaining their current status quo and are fully aware that they could become a target for the US," Al-Shabandar noted.
