Relations between Washington and Baghdad could suffer if groups tied to the Iraqi government persist in backing Iran-aligned armed factions, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday in a statement to Alhurra.
The warning came in response to inquiries sent by Alhurra to the State Department regarding reports that the United States has taken a series of undisclosed punitive measures against Iraq following recent attacks on its embassy in Baghdad and delays in forming a new government.
Among these measures, which Iraqi government officials confirmed to Alhurra on Monday, are the suspension of U.S. dollar shipments to Iraq, with their resumption tied to the formation of a new government, as well as the suspension of all high-level security coordination meetings until those responsible for attacks on the U.S. Embassy and the Diplomatic Support Center at Baghdad International Airport are identified.
The State Department neither confirmed nor denied taking such steps. However, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Alhurra that “While we acknowledge the efforts of Iraqi Security Forces to respond to terrorist attacks by Iran-aligned militia groups, we continue to emphasize that the Iraqi government’s failure to prevent these attacks while some elements associated with the Iraqi government continue to actively provide political, financial, and operational cover for the militias adversely impacts the U.S.-Iraq relationship.” “The United States will not tolerate attacks on U.S. interests and expects the Iraqi government to immediately take all measures to dismantle the Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq,” he added.
For further information, a State Department spokesperson referred Alhurra to the Treasury and War departments. Neither responded to requests for comment and both directed inquiries back to the State Department.
A U.S. State Department official confirmed to Alhurra’s Washington bureau on Monday the accuracy of reports regarding the suspension of dollar shipments to Iraq and the halt in security coordination meetings. The official linked their resumption to “clarity on the formation of the new government and a demonstrated commitment to preventing the use of U.S. currency to finance attacks against Americans.”
An Iraqi government source working with a team that liaises with diplomatic missions and international institutions said Monday that Baghdad had received signals of concern from Washington over recent attacks on its embassy.
The source told Alhurra that Washington informed the Iraqi government “that dollars will not flow to Iraq until the shape of the next government is determined,” adding that U.S. messages ultimately underscore that “Washington wants an Iraq that is not beholden to Iranian will.”
Two Iraqi government sources working within the Council of Ministers confirmed to Alhurra that the United States has halted dollar shipments to Iraq. The U.S. side has tied the resumption of these cash shipments to the formation of a new government with a clear program for financial reform and for combating the smuggling of hard currency abroad, particularly to Iran.
An Iraqi diplomat told Alhurra that Washington is no longer willing to engage with an executive authority that provides political or financial cover to Iran-aligned armed factions, which the United States considers “terrorist groups” that undermine Iraq’s sovereignty.
More than five months after Iraq’s general elections, the country is still being governed by a caretaker administration due to disputes within the ruling Shiite coalition over the nomination of a prime minister.
The issue of Iran-linked armed groups remains one of the most sensitive matters for the United States, particularly under President Donald Trump. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that these factions pose a threat to Iraq’s stability and to American interests in the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has on multiple occasions called for the disarmament of these factions and for halting legislation related to the Popular Mobilization Forces, saying it would “entrench Iranian influence and terrorist armed groups that undermine Iraq’s sovereignty.”
The Popular Mobilization Forces include a range of mostly Shiite paramilitary factions that have been formally integrated into Iraq’s security forces, including several groups aligned with Iran.
Since the outbreak of war involving the United States and Israel and Iran on Feb. 28, Iraq has witnessed reciprocal attacks by armed factions targeting U.S. interests, Iraqi military facilities, energy infrastructure, and civilian airports in Baghdad, Basra, and Erbil.
In parallel, sites affiliated with those factions have been hit by airstrikes of unknown origin, with no party claiming responsibility. However, a defense official told Alhurra on March 9 that U.S. forces were carrying out strikes against Iran-linked faction positions in Iraq.
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
Ghassan Taqi
A journalist specializing in Iraqi affairs, he has worked with the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) since 2015. He previously spent several years with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as well as various Iraqi and Arab media outlets.
