Iran-aligned Iraqi faction denies role in Erbil drone strike – Shafaq News

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.