The Iraqi government plans to take control of nearly 6 million weapons held by armed groups across the country by September 30. The government does not view the September 30 deadline for armed groups to hand over their arsenals as the end of the process, but rather as the beginning of the initiative. Iraqi Deputy Interior Minister Hussein al-Awadi said the transfer of weapons to state control is being carried out through negotiations rather than the use of force.
A four-member committee, including Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi and former Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, is working on a new mechanism for the process. According to Euronews, the initiative is being pursued amid pressure from the United States. Washington reportedly demanded in June that Baghdad establish a specific timetable for bringing weapons under state control and linked progress on the issue to Iraq’s access to dollar flows.
The issue primarily concerns Shiite armed groups backed by Iran. Some of these groups operate under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Iranian allies Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba have refused to hand over their arsenals, which they describe as “weapons of resistance.” At the same time, Saraya al-Salam, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali have reached agreements with the government on handing over their weapons or legalizing their status.
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