No fixed deadline for militia disarmament committee, says Iraqi PM adviser

A senior adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi has denied reports of a deadline for the committee responsible for disarming weapons held by Iran-backed groups. The committee, established by the Co-ordination Framework, aims to bring weapons under state control following Prime Minister Al Zaidi's pledge in May. Prime Minister Al Zaidi had set September 30 as the deadline for militia groups to disarm, aligning it with the withdrawal timeline of US-led coalition forces from Iraq, including the Kurdistan region.

Qasim Al Araji, the adviser, stated that there is no specific deadline for completing the disarmament process, emphasizing that once all weapons are under state control, anyone illegally possessing a firearm will be treated as a terrorist. However, he did not provide an expected timeframe for the process' completion. The Co-ordination Framework, in cooperation with the government, oversees the process of restricting weapons to the state, following Iran's request for negotiations.

Despite Iran's support, Iraqi officials report resistance from militia groups, complicating the withdrawal process and internal security landscape. The militias, backed by Iran, have become powerful forces rivaling the national army in firepower and are deeply integrated into Iraq's political, economic, and social fabric. Some militias argue that their weapons originated from Iran and insist on returning them to Iran instead of the Iraqi state.

Hardline factions, primarily Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba, refuse to disarm until US forces withdraw. Prime Minister Al Zaidi faces increasing pressure from regional countries and the international community, particularly the US, to disarm the militias.