US chargé d’affaires urges Iraq to dismantle Iran-aligned militias during Barzani visit

ERBIL — Joshua Harris, the U.S. Embassy’s chargé d’affaires in Baghdad, met with Kurdistan Democratic Party President Masoud Barzani in Erbil on Tuesday, discussing regional security and mutual ties, according to a statement released by the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil.

The U.S. reiterated its position that “Iran-backed terrorist militias that flout Iraqi calls for disarmament have no place in Iraq’s government in any capacity.”

The statement added, “The United States will continue to speak clearly and consistently to the urgency of Iraqi action to dismantle terrorist militias pursuing a foreign agenda that undermines Iraq’s sovereignty, impoverishes Iraq, threatens Americans and Iraqis, and draws Iraq into regional conflict.”

Earlier this week, Joshua Harris met with Hikma Movement leader Ammar al-Hakim to discuss “the shared interests of safeguarding Iraqi sovereignty, defeating terrorism, bolstering regional security, and strengthening economic ties that deliver benefits for Americans and Iraqis,” according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

During the meeting, Harris reiterated that “the inclusion of Iran-aligned terrorist militias in the Iraqi government in any capacity is incompatible with a strong U.S.-Iraq partnership.”

Voters across Iraq went to the polls in November to elect all 329 members of the Council of Representatives. In late December, the newly formed parliament chose Haibat al-Halbousi as its speaker. The talks for forming the next government continue.

In Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary elections, several political parties linked to Iran‑aligned Shiite armed groups converted their armed influence into electoral gains. These factions ran as formal political parties or within broader alliances, notably under the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shiite parties.