Netanyahu Says He and Trump Share Goal to Disarm Hezbollah, Demilitarize Lebanon

Iraq is intensifying measures to establish state control over weapons, with some Shiite armed factions announcing the dismantling of their military wings. These factions have operated outside the armed forces' control for years, despite being part of the official Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

“

preserve the country’s supreme interests

The ruling Shiite Coordination Framework has tasked Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali al-Zaidi with taking necessary actions to "preserve the country’s supreme interests." The framework also backed efforts to "impose state monopoly over arms and disengage the PMF from political, partisan and societal frameworks." This coalition of Shiite parties and armed factions, with varying ties to Iran, implicitly rejected factions' involvement in the US-Israeli war on Iran's side, deeming such attacks "illegal and unconstitutional."

“

impose state monopoly over arms and disengage the PMF from political, partisan and societal frameworks.

The statement asserted that the PMF is an "official security institution that is bound to the constitution and laws and orders of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces." The decision of war and peace, it declared, is a sovereign one controlled exclusively by the Iraqi people through their constitutional institutions. U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Joshua Harris welcomed the Framework’s statement, calling it a step toward consolidating independence and sovereignty for Iraq's future.

“

The decision of war and peace “is a sovereign one that is exclusively controlled by the people of Iraq through their constitutional institutions represented by the government and elected parliament.”

National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji met with Harris, underscoring the importance of supporting the government's efforts to ensure arms remain exclusively under state authority. He also welcomed the Coordination Framework’s position, which he said strengthens stability, state authority, and the rule of law. Al-Araji reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to peaceful approaches in resolving crises, in line with international law and diplomatic norms. An official source within the Framework indicated that disengaging the PMF from political and social frameworks aims to prevent its control by political leaderships and potential dismantling or restructuring. This move may also serve as a preemptive response to American demands for PMF disarmament.

“

The PMF is an “official security institution that is bound to the constitution and laws and orders of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.”