No confrontation, no conflict… The government sends a message of “dialogue” to the factions: Your appointment is September 30th.
No confrontation, no conflict… The government sends a message of “dialogue” to the factions: Your appointment is September 30th.
2026-08-21
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Iraqi government reiterated on Friday that the deadline for restricting weapons to the state is set for September 30, noting that the government has informed the armed factions of the date and the mechanisms for dealing with the issue.
Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said that the dialogue with the factions is progressing well, and is based on the principles of state sovereignty and the interests of the Iraqi people, indicating that the government is working to reach understandings that ensure the issue of weapons is addressed without harming the country’s stability.
According to Al-Aboudi, Iraq and its institutions are far removed from any confrontation or internal conflict, stressing that the government’s priority is to secure economic, political and security stability, in addition to continuing efforts to combat corruption.
He pointed out that there are 6 armed factions involved in the government dialogue regarding the restriction of weapons, and that some of them have responded and dealt positively with the government proposals, while other factions are still engaged in ongoing dialogues to reach an agreement on the mechanisms that guarantee their interests and the interests of the state and the country.
The Iraqi government spokesman concluded by noting that “the government is dealing with the issue through dialogue and understanding, in a way that preserves the sovereignty of the state and prevents Iraq from sliding into any internal conflict.”
The issue of armed factions is one of the most sensitive issues facing the Iraqi government, with the approach of September 30, which the main political forces have set as the deadline for restricting weapons to official institutions.
The State Administration Coalition, which includes the most prominent Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political forces, stressed during its meeting on August 5 the need to restrict weapons to the state, and considered the parties that carry out activities that threaten the security of the country outside the framework of official institutions as “outlaws and must be fought.”
The coalition warned that any armed activity outside the framework of the state after September 30 would be dealt with according to the anti-terrorism law.
Following this, Iraqi security and military forces raised their readiness level throughout the country, and the leave of a number of commanders and officers was cancelled, while security agencies began implementing field movements and exercises in anticipation of any emergency or friction that might develop into an armed confrontation.
Last week, Baghdad witnessed hours of security tension coinciding with threats by armed factions to retaliate against Saudi Arabia after strikes targeted Popular Mobilization Forces sites, before it ended with contacts and a dawn meeting between Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zubaidi and Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri, which led to a mutual calming and opened the way for diplomatic action to address the crisis.
Al-Amiri later called on the “Islamic Resistance” factions to postpone any military response against Saudi Arabia and to prioritize “Iraq’s higher interest,” but he returned and stressed during a meeting with a number of Popular Mobilization Forces leaders the importance of maintaining a high level of readiness.
The plan to restrict weapons does not have a unified stance from the armed factions.
While some forces expressed a willingness to reorganize their military and security relationship with the state, other factions, including Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, announced their refusal to relinquish their military capabilities, and linked any discussion about their weapons to the end of the presence of foreign forces and ensuring the protection of Iraq from external attacks.
September 30th also coincides with the deadlines related to ending the international coalition’s military presence in Iraq, which some factions use as a basis for linking the future of their weapons to the withdrawal of foreign forces.
shafaq.com
