Iraq state weapons monopoly initiative

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zeydi has initiated efforts to establish a state monopoly on the use of force through new legislation. The proposed law aims to restrict all weaponry to the control of state institutions to address the threat posed by uncontrolled arms, which officials describe as “the greatest threat to the state.”

To support this initiative, the Ministry of Interior has reportedly created a data bank to record 6 million weapons and has closed 71 unauthorized centers allegedly linked to the Hashd al-Shaabi forces. Government spokesperson Haydar al-Abbudi indicated that the government intends to establish this monopoly, with a target timeline for progress set for the end of September.

Rather than a deadline for seizing weapons, security advisor Qasim al-Araji clarified that the September 30 date marks the beginning of discussions intended to decouple armed groups from their independent military capabilities. Prime Minister al-Zeydi emphasized that the government seeks to avoid military confrontation, noting that political forces generally agree on the principle of restricting weapons to the state.

While some groups under the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) umbrella have responded to government demands, others, such as Kata’ib Hezbollah, have expressed reluctance to relinquish military capabilities. The government is currently engaged in talks with six armed factions to reorganize their security relationship with the state. Amidst these efforts, officials noted that while ISIS remains a target for intelligence efforts, drug trafficking is currently ranked as a higher immediate security threat than the group.