Rubio and Al Zaidi discuss importance of disarming militias as Iraq pushes deadline to June 2027
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi discussed the importance of disarming militia groups in Iraq, as the deadline to bring arms under state control was pushed from the end of this month to June next year. In a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Rubio and the Iraqi leader “agreed on the importance of Iraq dismantling terrorist…
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi met at the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss the critical issue of disarming militia groups in Iraq. The deadline for disarming militias was extended from the end of the month to June 2027. Both leaders agreed on the importance of dismantling terrorist militias, preventing attacks from Iraqi territory, and exercising full sovereignty over the country's security.
Washington has been pressuring Al Zaidi to rein in Iran-backed militia groups and bring weapons held by non-state actors under government control. However, Al Zaidi has stated that the disarmament process is expected to be completed by June 2027, despite the Iraqi government's previous promise to finish the process by September 30.
Hardline factions, including Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba, have vowed to resist disarmament until foreign troops withdraw from Iraq. Al Zaidi's security adviser, Qasim Al Araji, recently hinted that there is no fixed date for the completion of the process, raising questions about the feasibility of the extended deadline.
Al Zaidi emphasized the importance of disarmament and fighting corruption as essential priorities for Iraq's security and sovereignty.
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