2026-08-21T15:54:02+00:00

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Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi government on Friday reaffirmed September 30 as
the deadline for bringing weapons under state control, saying it had informed
armed factions of the date and the mechanisms for addressing the issue.

Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), government
spokesman Haider Al-Aboudi noted that talks with the factions are making
progress and “based on the principles of state sovereignty and the interests of
the Iraqi people.”

He explained that the government was seeking agreements that
would address the weapons issue without affecting the country’s stability. “The
government is addressing the issue through dialogue and understanding in a way
that preserves state sovereignty and prevents any internal confrontation in
Iraq.”

Al-Aboudi confirmed that six armed factions are involved in
talks with the government over bringing weapons under state control. Some have
responded positively to the government’s proposals, while others continue
discussions on mechanisms that would protect their interests as well as those
of the state.

He stressed that Iraq and its institutions are “above any
internal confrontation or conflict,” adding that the government’s priorities
include preserving economic, political, and security stability and continuing
efforts to combat corruption.

Read more: Iraq’s September deadline undercuts armed factions’ case for weapons

Earlier in the day, sources familiar with the factions’
internal deliberations told Shafaq News that Asaib Ahl Al-Haq*, one of Iraq’s
most powerful Iran-aligned armed factions, told Shaafq News that the faction
has handed over weapons from a base south of Baghdad to state authorities two
days ago, on Friday, pointing to
progress in the government’s push to bring arms under state control.

Shiite political leaders are exploring a compromise for groups unwilling to disarm. A
Coordination Framework source previously told Shafaq News that the proposal
would give Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, as commander-in-chief, authority over
any use of their weapons.

Badr Organization leader Hadi Al-Amiri and Al-Hikma Movement
leader Ammar Al-Hakim are leading talks with the factions aimed at avoiding a
confrontation with the government.

* Asaib Ahl Al-Haq operates Brigades 41, 42, and 43 within
the PMF, the state-sanctioned paramilitary umbrella incorporated into Iraq’s
security apparatus after its 2014 mobilization against ISIS. The group is
represented in Parliament through the Sadiqoon bloc and is designated by the
United States as a foreign terrorist organization over its ties to Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.