Militias Log 171 US Flights in Iraq Since Coalition Exit

171. That is the number of US fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft that Iran-backed militias say entered Iraqi airspace between September 30 and Friday. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization for these armed groups, released the count on Saturday. The allegations were not independently verified by other observers or government bodies.

The report arrives as tensions rise between Baghdad and the militias. The US-led anti-ISIS coalition formally ended its military mission in Iraq on September 30. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has used the transition to push for state control over militia weapons. Several powerful factions have rejected this initiative, while others have agreed to cooperate.

Al-Zaidi has set a deadline of June 30, 2027, for the disarmament process. In an interview with Iraqi state media, he stated that no weapons would remain outside the framework of the state by that date. He added that Iraq would soon be a state free of factions, with weapons exclusively in the hands of Iraqi security forces. The dispute highlights a central challenge: even after the coalition's withdrawal, Iran-backed factions continue to view their arms as necessary for confronting Washington and Israel.

The militias accused the Iraqi government of appeasing the United States. They cited Washington’s pressure on Baghdad to reduce commercial flights and close border crossings with Iran. Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba remain opposed to the disarmament push. In contrast, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada have expressed willingness to cooperate with government measures.

US State Department officials warned of increasing regional threats on Saturday. The US Embassy in Iraq updated its travel advisory, citing the threat of increased attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis. The advisory noted that Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia could lead to wider regional escalation. It maintained the existing warning against all travel to Iraq, stating that the Iraqi government cannot guarantee the safety of US citizens against sudden outbreaks of violence.

The State Department also noted that terrorists, including ISIS and Iran-aligned militias, encourage and conduct attacks against US persons and interests in Iraq. Potential targets include airports, energy infrastructure, hotels, and diplomatic facilities. The warning cited attacks involving drones, indirect fire, and improvised explosive devices as primary threats to American citizens and international companies.

Separate developments in the region added to the security concerns. US intelligence warned that Iranian efforts to assassinate American diplomats and officials in the Middle East have increased. A memorandum dated Friday from US National Intelligence Director Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that some alleged Iranian plots had reached advanced stages. Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted a gathering center belonging to the Kurdistan Free Life Party in Iran, intensifying clashes with the group's armed wing.