Just two days after Washington reassured Baghdad about the future of bilateral ties, the White House issued its strongest warning yet to the Iraqi government over the activities of armed factions.

Axar.az, citing Asharq Al-Awsat, reports that according to Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned Iraq not to allow any retaliatory actions by factions in response to planned U.S. military operations near Iraq. The message reportedly ended with a sharp statement: “This is your final notice.”

The warning came as Iraq prepares for its sixth parliamentary elections since 2003, amid divisions within the Shiite Coordination Framework and growing concerns over mixed signals from Washington.