ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The committee formed by Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi to oversee the implementation of restricting arms to state control has begun its work, the prime minister’s spokesperson told Rudaw, emphasizing that the measures “apply to all sides.” The statement comes as an Iran-aligned armed group has outlined five preconditions for disarmament, including the withdrawal of “all foreign military forces” from the country.
Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of Iraqi armed forces, the premier, stated on Wednesday that the Baghdad government is “seeking to bring all weapons under state control and ensure that security decisions are made exclusively by the [Iraqi] state.”
He added that the initiative “the decision is comprehensive” and applies to all armed groups operating outside the framework of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)
“All weapons, ammunition, military equipment, and camps must be handed over to the relevant state security institutions,” Numan said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Iraqi premier had ordered the formation of a committee to oversee the implementation of measures aimed at disengaging political parties and armed factions from the PMF.
The move is in line with the Iraqi constitution and existing laws, a statement from Zaidi’s office said, noting that it aims to “strengthen state authority, support security and stability, and reinforce the establishment of a strong Iraqi state capable of fulfilling the aspirations of its citizens.”
Numan told Rudaw that the term “disengagement” refers to “reorganizing these forces within the security institutions in a way that preserves all the rights and legal protections of the fighters, who will be integrated as part of the military forces.”
He further described Zaidi’s formation of the committee as a “purely Iraqi decision,” adding that it operates directly under the prime minister and is expected to receive “a complete inventory of all weapons and military equipment within the next two days.”
The committee includes representatives from the Iraqi Defense and Interior ministries, Baghdad’s Joint Operations Command (JOC), and the PMF.
The PMF was established in 2014 during the Islamic State group (ISIS) blitz, which saw the group seize control of large parts of Iraq’s north and west.
Created in response to a religious edict, fatwa, by Iraq’s highest Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the PMF was initially an umbrella organization of roughly 70 predominantly Shiite armed groups, with approximately 250,000 members.
While it is a state‑funded institution, the PMF includes factions widely believed to overlap with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance,’ which have, since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, carried out attacks against alleged US targets in the region in support of Tehran, often operating through shadow groups under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI).
The IRI’s core overlap within the PMF includes Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada. So far, only the first of these factions has announced its compliance with al-Zaidi’s initiative.
Importantly, the Tehran-aligned Saraya Awliya al-Dam Brigades (Guardians of the Blood Brigades) - an active armed group and key component of the IRI - on Wednesday outlined five preconditions for disarmament.
“Any national initiative aimed at restricting weapons must be accompanied by genuine steps that guarantee Iraq's sovereignty and the independence of its decision-making,” said Abu Mahdi al-Jaafari, the group’s spokesperson, in a statement.
He further noted that his group would comply with the arms’ restriction efforts if “financial and economic dependency that restricts Iraq’s will” is ended and its “independent economic decision-making” is strengthened to “open the way for balanced partnerships.” He also called for an end to “all forms of external interference in Iraq’s political decision-making.”
Saraya Awliya al-Dam said that its adherence to the initiative is also contingent upon “ending all foreign military presence on Iraqi territory” and “enabling Iraq to acquire modern air defense systems and radar capabilities.”
“If these conditions are met, we affirm that we will be among the first to respond to any genuine national project to place weapons under state control, provided it is accompanied by effective guarantees that achieve full sovereignty and preserve Iraq’s independence,” the group’s spokesperson, Jaafari, concluded.
It is also worth noting that two other powerful Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups on Wednesday announced their refusal to disarm, citing US military presence in the country, representatives of the factions told Rudaw.
RELATED: Two Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups ‘reject’ disarmament, cite US presence in Iraq
Malik Mohammed contributed to this article from Erbil, Kurdistan Region.
