Iraq Faces ISIS Threat and Militia Arms Challenge After US Withdrawal

The completion of the US troop withdrawal from Iraq marks a new phase for the country, bringing overlapping security, political and regional challenges into sharper focus.

Concerns over renewed activity by Islamic State cells remain central to the security picture. The threat poses a test for Iraqi forces as they take on responsibility for preventing the group from exploiting gaps left by the withdrawal.

At the same time, the growing influence of Iran-aligned armed factions presents a separate challenge to state authority. The question of who controls weapons is increasingly tied to Iraq’s ability to enforce its own security decisions.

Bringing arms exclusively under state control is therefore more than a military task. It is also a political contest over the role of armed groups and the limits of their influence in the post-withdrawal period.

These domestic pressures intersect with the risk of Iraq being drawn into wider regional conflicts. Baghdad faces the difficult task of confronting militant threats, strengthening state authority and preventing outside rivalries from determining the country’s course.