Some factions have shown flexibility… Al-Zaydi’s government will open the “weapons control” file after Eid.
Some factions have shown flexibility… Al-Zaydi’s government will open the “weapons control” file after Eid.
2026-05-24
Shafaq News – Baghdad
An informed government source revealed on Sunday that some political forces and armed factions have shown “flexibility” regarding the issue of restricting weapons to the state, after having been rigid on this matter, indicating that the process of handing over weapons will be within a specific timeframe.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that “most of the forces and factions that were refusing to hand over their weapons have shown some flexibility in the dialogue and are working to find a mechanism to hand over the weapons to the government under the supervision of Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi. It is hoped that the weapons handover process will begin after the completion of the government cabinet, i.e., after the end of the Eid holiday.”
He added that “the refusal of some factions to integrate into the army and hand over weapons will not last long, because the Iranian messages carried by the commander of the Iranian Quds Force, Ismail Qaani, during his recent visit to Baghdad, included the importance of regulating the weapons of the resistance axis and integrating its elements into the official institution, as there is no longer a need for their weapons for several reasons.”
He pointed out that among these considerations was “Iran’s ability to defend itself, in addition to preventing the expansion of the conflict arena in the region. This was done through direct meetings with the leaders of the factions, most of whom responded positively to being informed of government guarantees that they would not be prosecuted, that their funds abroad would not be frozen, and that their weapons would be officially registered with the government, which would decide on the mechanism for storing the weapons.”
The source indicated that “after the government cabinet is completed, the process of officially registering weapons will take place under government supervision, with their factional front being transformed into a political one or they being integrated into the Popular Mobilization Forces, within a specific timeframe.”
The ministerial program of Ali al-Zaidi’s government, which won the confidence of the Iraqi parliament on Thursday, May 14, included a clause restricting weapons to the state, and he emphasized it during his speech after gaining the confidence.
Prior to that, an informed source had revealed to Shafaq News Agency on May 9 that the Coordination Framework had agreed with Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi to form a committee tasked with disarming armed factions, coinciding with the call made by the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that “inter-party meetings took place between al-Zaydi and important leaders within the coordination framework to discuss mechanisms for managing the next phase,” indicating that “an agreement was reached to form a special committee to restrict weapons to the state, headed by the prime minister-designate, with the membership of the caretaker prime minister, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, and the head of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri.”
He explained that “the committee will oversee the implementation of mechanisms for disarming the factions by the state, classifying them according to a special database, in addition to reintegrating the faction members into the state’s civil or security institutions, in a way that achieves the public interest of all parties.”
The source added that “disarming the factions contributes to controlling the country’s security, especially since the region is experiencing turbulent and exceptional circumstances due to the conflict between America and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.”
The head of the executive council of the Al-Nujaba Movement, Nazim Al-Saidi, one of the most prominent armed factions, confirmed on May 15 that the “weapons control” clause included in the new government’s program does not include “resistance weapons” but rather those that cause “chaos.”
Al-Saidi said, during a speech he delivered at the Covenant of Integrity Festival in Babylon Governorate, which was attended by a correspondent from Shafaq News Agency, that what is meant by “uncontrolled weapons” is weapons that are outside the law and cause chaos, stressing that this “does not include the weapons of the resistance fighters who defended Iraq, the holy sites and the people during the most difficult circumstances.”
He added that “the choice of the Al-Nujaba Movement since its establishment is based on not participating in or having political or parliamentary representation, but rather being content with monitoring the political process in a way that ensures serving the citizens and achieving their aspirations.”
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