Shafaq News..Al-Nujaba threatens US forces over Sept. 30 withdrawal deadline
2026-09-02T17:23:51+00:00
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Akram Al-Kaabi,
secretary-general of Iraq’s Harakat Al-Nujaba*, one of the country’s most
hardline Iran-backed factions, warned on Wednesday that the group would
confront US forces if Washington fails to complete its planned military
withdrawal by September 30.
“We are watching September 30
with full readiness, enthusiasm, and preparation to wage a decisive battle
against the occupying forces if they renege on their commitment to withdraw
completely by land and air,” Al-Kaabi said. “If even one soldier remains after
that date, we will not let him return safely and will send him back to them as
a corpse.”
— الشيخ اكرم الكعبي (@Akram_Alkabee) September 2, 2026
He also criticized US
President Donald Trump, arguing that he would not be allowed to claim a victory
in Iraq after having “failed to achieve one in Iran.”
Read more: Tension meets dialogue as Iraq approaches September 30
Baghdad and Washington agreed
in 2024 to wind down the US-led Global Coalition’s military mission under a
two-phase plan. The first concluded in September 2025 with troops departing
Baghdad and Ain Al-Asad air base in western Iraq, while a contingent remained
in the Kurdistan Region to support operations against ISIS in Syria. The second
is scheduled to end on September 30, 2026.
The two governments, however,
differ over what follows. Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi maintains that Iraq will
be free of foreign military forces from October 1, while a senior US
administration official told Shafaq News last week that the Coalition mission
would be “reduced, not ended,” with security ties shifting toward a longer-term
bilateral partnership.
Around 2,500 US troops have
been stationed in Iraq as part of the Coalition.
Read more: Iraqi Army after US-led Coalition withdrawal
* Harakat
Al-Nujaba, led by US-designated Akram Al-Kaabi, is part of the Islamic
Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella of Iran-aligned factions seeking the withdrawal
of US forces from the country. Unlike allied groups such as Asaib Ahl Al-Haq,
whose Sadiqoun bloc holds 27 parliamentary seats, and Kataib Hezbollah, which
is represented by the six-seat Hoqooq bloc, Al-Nujaba has no registered
political wing or seats in the Council of Representatives.