U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday during the United Nations General Assembly that Iraq risks "Balkanization" unless its armed factions are brought under state control. He made these remarks after meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi. Rubio noted that Washington has no doubt about al-Zaidi's commitment to disarming Iraq's armed groups, but called it a massive and difficult challenge.

Analysts believe that the "Balkanization" Rubio referred to points more to "fractures" within Iraq's state system caused by Iran-aligned armed groups, rather than an imminent territorial breakup. These groups serve as "arteries" for the interests of the pro-Iranian regime in Iraq through parallel economic channels, political influence, and oil-smuggling networks.

Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi had previously pledged that the armed factions would lose their legitimacy after September 30, but that deadline has now been pushed back to June 30, 2027. In addition, Rubio said on Wednesday that there had been no discussion of extending the timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, currently scheduled for September 30.