ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States will support efforts by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to bring all arms under state control, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday, as the September 30 deadline to hand over weapons approaches, less than a week away. Zaidi “is very intelligent and a very willing partner in this regard, and we're going to do everything we can to help him achieve the results, and we know it will not be easy,” Rubio told reporters at the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), adding that “nothing would be more important for Iraq than to… bring all the arms in that country under the control of its national government.” The remarks come a day after Zaidi and Rubio met to discuss the future of US-Iraq relations Washington-Baghdad relations, during which the Iraqi premier reiterated the government’s determination to move forward with measures to ensure that all arms remain under state authority. In his mid-May inaugural address before the Iraqi parliament, Zaidi vowed sweeping security reforms, including "confining weapons to state control," to enforce the rule of law, strengthen the country's security, intelligence, and military capabilities, and ensure that decisions of war and peace remain exclusively in state hands. In early June, Zaidi ordered the formation of a committee to oversee the disengagement of political parties and armed factions from the state-funded Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Consequently, the US intensified pressure on the Iraqi government to rein in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) entity and its affiliates, which overlap with the PMF. Operating under the banner of the IRI, various PMF factions are believed to have played an active role in backing Tehran during the six-week war in late February and its aftermath, which in early April claimed more than 750 attacks against targets across the region in support of Iran. While many groups have aligned with Zaidi’s push, three factions - Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada - have buffered calls to disarm, presenting an obstacle as the deadline looms less than a week away. Amid challenges with several factions, Zaidi on Tuesday submitted a six-point proposal to the Iran-backed armed factions that includes prolonging the initial deadline set for their disarmament on September 30 to mid-2027, a senior official within the ruling Shiite-led Coordination Framework told Rudaw on Tuesday Rubio noted that at least two armed factions have disarmed and joined the national forces, while at least one group "has not been as forthcoming," presenting a major challenge. Nevertheless, Rubio expressed “zero doubt” in Zaidi’s commitment, acknowledging that the confinement of weapons proliferation remains “a massive challenge and a difficult challenge.” Rubio said the US believes Zaidi gives "the world and Iraq the best chance to succeed," adding that the Iraqi leader has the right intentions and motivations to bring stability to the country. He further pledged continued American backing, stating, "we'll do everything we can to help him succeed." Meanwhile, veteran Iraqi politician Izzat Shabandar, known for his proximity to Iran-backed factions, told Rudaw in an interview that September 30 is not a “sacred deadline” - a statement echoed on Friday by Qasim al-Araji, security advisor to the Iraqi prime minister. RELATED: Iraqi top security official discusses arms control, regional relations with US envoy
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