Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered a direct message to Iraq: disarm the Iranian-backed militias that launched more than 600 attacks against American soldiers during the spring.

The demand signals that Washington is no longer prepared to tolerate a system in which Tehran’s terrorist proxies attack US forces while continuing to operate openly, receive funding and wield political influence inside Iraq.

For years, Iraqi governments looked the other way as Iran built a powerful network of armed groups operating outside meaningful state control. These militias served Tehran’s interests, threatened regional stability and repeatedly targeted American personnel.