Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq have used the delay in the US-led coalition’s exit as an excuse to escalate their attacks, blaming “diplomatic failure” and “Washington’s stalling” in negotiations with the Iraqi government. Two factions of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” announced that they are “ready to resume operations” and that the “truce brokered by the Iraqi government is effectively over.” Iraq’s Foreign Ministry declared last Thursday that it had postponed the announcement of the coalition’s pullout owing to “recent developments,” notably the bombing of the Ain al-Asad facility.

Later, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated that “withdrawal negotiations are ongoing, but the situation has changed.” Kazem Al-Fartousi, spokesperson for the “Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada” faction, stated that the government has not told them that discussions with the US had been halted for any reason. He emphasized that Iraqi resistance organizations have always made it clear that if diplomacy fails to terminate the US presence, they will resume operations to liberate all Iraqi territory.

However, Al-Fartousi stated that they are “waiting for an official update from the government on the negotiations” and that “the Americans aren’t serious about withdrawing.” Meanwhile, the “Nujaba Movement” stated that it is “no longer bound by the truce with US forces,” which was intended to give the Iraqi government time to negotiate. According to Haider Al-Lami, a Nujaba Movement political council member, “resistance factions have ended the truce, and all options are on the table to target US bases in Iraq.”

He also criticized the US of impeding the pullout negotiations. Iraqi media stated that armed faction commanders recently gathered to discuss the consequences of postponing the US pullout. The group determined that “attacks on US forces will soon resume with greater intensity,” regardless of what occurs in Gaza, even if Hamas agrees to a cease-fire.