US Secretary of State Rubio and Iraqi PM discuss disarming groups — The National
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi discussed the disarmament of armed groups in Iraq on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The National reports that Iraqi authorities plan to complete the process of bringing weapons under state control by June 2027.
Statement after the meeting
The US State Department said that Rubio and al-Zaidi agreed on the importance of Iraq dismantling terrorist paramilitary groups, preventing attacks from Iraqi territory, and the country fully exercising its sovereignty.
Washington is pressuring the Iraqi prime minister to curb the activities of Iran-backed groups and place the weapons of non-state formations under government control. Al-Zaidi had previously stated his intention to disarm such groups by September 30 — the same deadline set for the withdrawal of US-led forces.
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New deadline and the groups’ positions
In an interview with The New York Times published on Monday, al-Zaidi said the government seeks to complete disarmament by June 2027. His national security adviser, Qasim al-Araji, also said last week that there is no fixed date for completing this process.
Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kataib Imam Ali, and Saraya al-Salam, which is linked to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, state that they have placed their weapons under state control. At the same time, Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba said they would not disarm until foreign troops withdraw. The Iraqi prime minister’s office said he reaffirmed the government’s intention to ensure that all weapons are under state control.
