The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that a senior official in a pro-Iranian Iraqi militia confirmed that an agreement had been reached between the militias and Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani. According to the official, the militias agreed to halt their military operations against Israel and not to interfere in the political changes in Syria. This comes against the backdrop of regional and international demands to disband the militias and hand over their weapons to the state. The official also noted that Iran "gave them the freedom to decide regarding the Syrian arena."