Iran-aligned Iraqi faction denies role in Erbil drone strike
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada, an Iran-aligned faction within the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), denied on Thursday that Iraqi groups were behind the recent drone attack on Erbil, linking any future action to developments in the US-Iran confrontation.
“There were no operations launched from Iraq toward Erbil [the capital of the Kurdistan Region], and no resistance faction carried out any action of this kind,” spokesperson Kazem Al-Fartousi told Shafaq News. He framed strikes on US interests and military bases across the region as part of the wider conflict between Washington and Tehran, arguing that it could continue “without necessarily escalating into an open war.”
Addressing calls for disarmament, Al-Fartousi tied the faction’s arsenal to the presence of “occupation [US-led Coalition] forces” and threats to the country’s sovereignty, maintaining that relinquishing its weapons before those conditions end is “unrealistic.”
The Kurdistan Region Counter-Terrorism Service reported on Wednesday that Coalition forces intercepted and destroyed eight explosive-laden drones over Erbil between 8:53 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. local time, preventing casualties and damage. Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Ali Al-Zaidi condemned the assault as “a malicious attempt” to destabilize Iraq and ordered federal agencies to coordinate with the Kurdistan Region’s authorities to identify those responsible and prevent further incidents.
من منطلق مسؤوليتنا الدستورية، ندين بشدة الاعتداء من خلال الطيران المسير، الذي اخترق أجواء مدينة أربيل في إقليم كردستان العراق، ونؤكد عدم التهاون إزاء هذه المحاولات الآثمة، التي تحاول بيأس أن تنال من استقرار شعبنا ومساره الواثق في بناء الدولة والسلم المجتمعي.وجهنا الأجهزة…
— علي فالح الزيدي (@AliFalihAlzaidy) July 16, 2026
Al-Fartousi’s comments coincided with Al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington, where US officials pressed Baghdad to dismantle Iran-aligned armed groups and curb Tehran’s influence, linking deeper economic and defense cooperation to tangible progress. Standing alongside President Donald Trump, the prime minister confirmed that the government had already taken possession of weapons from some factions and reiterated that bringing all arms under state control remained a central objective.
Read more: Washington links US oil investment to Iraq’s disarmament deadline
“It is to restrict the possession of weapons to the state,” Al-Zaidi declared. “This is a decision. It is not an option.”
Baghdad seeks to place all arms outside official control under government authority before the Sept. 30 deadline marking the end of the US-led Coalition mission against ISIS. Several factions have agreed to join the state security framework, but Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah Al-Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada continue to resist disarmament, insisting their arsenals remain part of the “resistance” until foreign troops leave Iraq.
IRI restated that position on July 11, vowing neither to surrender its weapons nor halt efforts to expand its military and security capabilities. “Our arms, carried by our fighters on the battlefield, have never been open to negotiation.”
Read more: September weapons deadline leaves terms of disarmament unresolved
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq comprises Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah Al-Nujaba, Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, and Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada, all designated by the United States as terrorist organizations. Since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, the umbrella group claims to have launched more than 200 attacks on US military facilities in Iraq.
