Iraq sets September deadline for militia disarmament

The Iraqi government has announced that militias within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) must surrender their weapons by the end of September. This deadline aligns with the scheduled withdrawal of international coalition forces from Iraq.

Iraqi government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi stated that the September deadline for arms handover will coincide with the complete withdrawal of the international coalition. Newly appointed Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed his administration's commitment to disarming militias and consolidating the state's monopoly on force. This initiative is a key policy objective for al-Zaidi.

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At the end of next September will be the deadline for the handover of weapons, coinciding with the withdrawal of the international coalition.

The decision comes amid pressure from the United States, which accuses some Iran-aligned Shia groups within the PMF of attacking U.S. bases and Arab allies in the Persian Gulf. While some factions, like Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Imam Ali Brigades, have agreed to surrender or place their weapons under state control, powerful groups such as Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba have reportedly refused.

Influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has supported the move, announcing the disassociation of his Peace Brigades from his nationalist movement and their integration under state command. The withdrawal of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group is set for September 30, according to a January announcement by the Supreme Military Committee overseeing the mission.

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the total withdrawal of the coalition forces will take place on September 30.