(Exclusive) The White House calls on Baghdad to be transparent with Washington and regional partners regarding the handover of weapons by the factions.
(Exclusive) The White House calls on Baghdad to be transparent with Washington and regional partners regarding the handover of weapons by the factions.
2026-09-15
Shafaq News – Washington
Mustafa Hashim
A U.S. administration official on Monday affirmed the United States’ full support for disarming factions in Iraq and transferring their weapons to the federal government, stressing that transparency with Washington and regional partners regarding the mechanism for implementing the process is a crucial factor for its success.
In response to a question from Shafaq News Agency regarding the US administration’s position on the issue of restricting weapons to the state, the official said, “The United States has been clear with Iraq about the critical importance of preserving its sovereignty and preventing Iranian-backed militias from launching attacks from within its borders.”
He added that “the United States fully supports disarmament and the transfer of weapons to the central government,” stressing that “transparency with the United States and regional partners on how this process is implemented is crucial to its success.”
The US position comes days after Saudi Arabia announced that drones launched from Iraqi territory attacked facilities belonging to the East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and material damage and leading to the temporary shutdown of the pipeline.
Riyadh announced that it would refrain from responding at the present time in response to a request from Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, while reserving the right to take the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and vital facilities.
Following the attack, the Iraqi government announced that investigations proved that the drones were launched from inside the country, while Al-Zaydi relieved the commanders of operations and police in Maysan of their positions, transferred the directors of the security services in the governorate to the command and referred them to investigation, in addition to forming an urgent investigative council.
The Iraqi government has also agreed to conduct a joint investigation with Iran regarding drone launch platforms found near the border strip, while the identity of the party that carried out the attack has not yet been announced.
The “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” denied responsibility for it, announcing its readiness to cooperate with the government investigation.
The attack brought the issue of restricting weapons to the state back to the forefront of the Iraqi scene, before the September 30 deadline, which al-Zaydi pledged to make the ceiling for disarming armed groups, coinciding with the end of the mission of the international coalition forces in Iraq.
After the date was initially presented as a deadline for handing over weapons located outside state institutions, government officials later clarified that it pertains to the end of the international coalition’s mission in Iraq, and does not represent a date for completing the disarmament of factions.
In contrast, influential armed factions refuse to consider September 30 as a binding date for them, and link discussions about the future of their weapons to the complete and permanent withdrawal of foreign forces.
Despite this discrepancy, the spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah al-Nu’man, confirmed to Shafaq News Agency that the end of the coalition’s mission will lead to an acceleration in resolving the issue, because the justifications for keeping weapons will disappear after September 30, expecting the process of organizing them under the umbrella of the state to be completed in record time.
The State Administration Coalition had taken a more hardline stance, warning that any armed activity threatening Iraq’s security outside of official institutions after September 30 would be dealt with according to the anti-terrorism law.
shafaq.com
