Iraqi armed factions evading disarmament, says political analyst

Political analyst Kifah Mahmoud has criticized the slow progress of disarmament efforts in Iraq, stating that factions are evading the process by surrendering only unusable weapons. On Al Arabiya FM, Mahmoud emphasized that the United States will not tolerate any leniency in handling uncontrolled weapons outside state authority.

He pointed out that only two factions have complied with disarmament measures, while others have turned in outdated arms while keeping heavier weaponry, which Iran either stores or aims to obtain. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi seeks to rectify the situation by ensuring all weapons are under state control, preventing Iraq from being implicated or neighboring nations from being targeted.

However, Iran aids these groups in retaining their weapons and opposes their surrender. Al-Zaidi confirmed that mechanisms are being developed for weapon handovers and that they will remain exclusively within state possession. He rejected the prospect of military conflict and stressed that all political entities concur on the necessity of centralizing weapons under state control, with ongoing efforts to establish proper handover procedures.