Tensions between the Iraqi government and armed factions have deepened, with mounting accusations over the groups’ economic influence, property acquisitions and investment projects. This coincided with security and military operations aimed at curbing the activities of the groups that, according to government assessments, are not fully under state control.
The escalation followed questions raised by Kataib Hezbollah about oil sales to a regional company and whether members of the Coordination Framework approved of selling oil at discounted prices while sharing in the profits.
In response, pro-government media outlets published information about what they described as Kataib Hezbollah’s “investment network,” alleging that it operates with the help of traders and businessmen, involves property acquisitions and has developed into an investment venture.
The disclosures coincided with a coordinated social media campaign that began referring to Iran-allied “resistance” groups in Iraq as “contractors.”
The details of the property-related allegations and the identities of those benefiting from the alleged activities could not be independently verified.
Observers said the timing of the disclosures suggested that the dispute had expanded to economic interests, after previously focusing primarily on efforts to bring all weapons under state control. Negotiations on that issue have yet to produce tangible progress.
In an effort to curb corruption in military manufacturing contracts, particularly amid questions about their links to financial benefits, intermediaries and ties with armed factions, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered this week the cancellation of contracts with intermediary companies and directed that military manufacturing contracts be concluded directly with manufacturers.
The move followed reports linking companies involved in military manufacturing contracts to Kataib Hezbollah.
Tighter monitoring of armed factions
Meanwhile, security and military agencies have begun expanding their monitoring of armed groups affiliated with factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), signaling an effort to impose stricter government oversight on movements that previously enjoyed considerable freedom within their areas of operation.
In one incident, a security force detained a group of members of an armed faction who were carrying 35 rockets while traveling toward the Babil province, according to information circulating about the incident.
The group’s movement raised questions about the shipment’s final destination, particularly because the province includes Jurf al-Sakhar, a major Kataib Hezbollah stronghold where armed factions wield extensive security and military influence.
A security source contacted by Asharq Al-Awsat declined to comment on the details of the incident.
However, the source did not deny that “such activities, regardless of the status of those carrying them out, including affiliation with the PMF, are now subject to monitoring and pursuit by the relevant authorities.”
Implementation test
The seizure of the rockets has brought the issue of placing weapons under state control back to the forefront as one of the government’s most significant challenges.
Political researcher Falah al-Mishal said bringing weapons under state control or securing their surrender was a priority in the government’s program.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that during a visit to Washington and a meeting with US President Donald Trump, al-Zaidi had made commitments regarding a deadline for surrendering weapons, initially set for the end of last September, before the government requested an extension until next June.
“This project, which the United States made a benchmark for the success of al-Zaidi’s government and a reason for supporting it, has encountered setbacks,” he remarked.
“To observers, it appears that the issue of disarming the factions has remained confined to media statements, with nothing achieved on the ground.”
He added that recent reports had described the destruction of weapons depots belonging to the PMF around Baghdad, alongside reports and leaks about weapons and experts from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps entering the ranks of armed factions.
Al-Mishal said these developments had prompted the United States to warn against any easing of government pressure to eliminate weapons outside state control.
Ghalib al-Daami, a media professor at Mustansiriyah University, said Washington approaches Iraq based on strategic interests rather than political relationships or personal considerations.
He warned that failure to surrender weapons within the agreed deadline could prompt the United States to take economic and political measures against Iraq.
Al-Daami told Asharq Al-Awsat that broad sanctions or economic restrictions could worsen domestic conditions, warning that the continued presence of weapons outside state control increased the likelihood of clashes between rival groups.
He said Iraq could face two possible outcomes: either growing chaos, or the government’s success in asserting its authority by placing weapons exclusively under the control of state institutions.
