Iraq Prime Minister sets 2027 deadline for weapons disarmament

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi has announced that all U.S. troops, including military advisers, have withdrawn from Iraq. He stated that the departure of foreign forces removes the rationale for armed factions to retain weapons outside of state authority.

Al-Zaidi set a deadline of June 30, 2027, to bring all weapons under state control. He reported that the government has already reached agreements with three groups to surrender their arms and is currently negotiating with four others. The Prime Minister emphasized that the policy to restrict weapon possession to state institutions is final.

The disarmament initiative faces opposition from certain armed factions. Abdul Qader Al-Karbalaei, a military deputy for the Harakat Hezbollah Al-Nujaba movement, rejected the terms of disarmament, stating the group would not surrender what it calls the ‘sacred weapons of the Resistance.’ Additionally, some legislators have argued that weapons held by resistance groups are necessary to counter terrorist threats and defend national sovereignty.