Militia report cites 171 US airspace violations in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is pressing to bring militia weapons under state control following the US-led anti-ISIS coalition's withdrawal.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for Iran-backed militias, released a statement citing 171 violations of Iraqi airspace by US fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft. The group said these flights occurred between September 30 and Friday. The US-led coalition formally ended its military mission in Iraq on September 30.

The militias accused the US of continuing to operate in Iraqi airspace after the mission ended. They also blamed the Iraqi government for appeasing Washington. The group expressed frustration over Baghdad's reduction of commercial flights and the closure of border crossings with Iran.

Zaidi has set a deadline of June 30, 2027, for the disarmament initiative. In an interview with Iraqi state media, he stated that no weapons will remain outside the framework of the state by that date. He described the goal as making Iraq a state free of factions, with weapons exclusively in the hands of Iraqi security forces.

Factions are divided on the plan. Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba remain opposed to disarmament. Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada have expressed willingness to cooperate with government measures.

The US State Department updated its travel advisory on Saturday. It warned of increased regional threats and noted that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could lead to wider escalation. The advisory stated that the Iraqi government cannot guarantee the safety of US citizens against sudden outbreaks of violence. It specifically named ISIS and Iran-aligned militias as threats to American interests in Iraq.

US intelligence officials warned of increased Iranian efforts to target American diplomats in the Middle East. A memorandum dated Friday from National Intelligence Director Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that some alleged plots had reached advanced stages. Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a gathering center for the Kurdistan Free Life Party in Iran. Clashes between the IRGC and the group's armed wing have intensified over the last week.