Pro-Iran factions refuse to disarm as Iraqi government sets new deadline

Pro-Iran Iraqi armed factions have refused to lay down their weapons following the end of the US-led coalition’s mission, defying government efforts to bring their arsenals under state control.The factions declared on Wednesday that they were “not bound by any timeline or agreement” to disarm, a day before Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced a new deadline of June 30 2027, for handing over their weapons.Speaking at an event celebrating the coalition’s withdrawal, Kataeb Hezbollah military spokesperson Jaafar al-Husseini said the factions had held talks on “regulating” their weapons but had “not yet received a response from the Iraqi government”.“Based on this, the Islamic Resistance declares that it is not bound by any timetable or agreement that any governmental or political party has spoken of or may speak of.”Zaidi had originally set September 30 as the deadline for disarmament but later withdrew it as negotiations continued.

Some factions have already handed over their weapons, while others have refused.“October 1 is considered a serious beginning to address the issue of weapons outside state control... according to a clear roadmap and agreed timelines extending no later than June 30 2027,” Zaidi said in a statement on Thursday.He reiterated that decisions on war and peace must rest with the state.“Based on the constitutional principle, the decision of war and peace should be left to the constitutional authorities, banning all military action to the contrary,” he said.Conditions beyond troop withdrawalThe US-led coalition officially ended its mission in Iraq on Wednesday, more than a decade after deploying to help fight the terror group Daesh.The Iraqi government believes the withdrawal will deprive armed factions of the justification they have long used to retain their weapons.

But concerns remain that the pullout could strengthen the groups and draw Iraq deeper into the Middle East war.The factions’ demands extend beyond the departure of foreign troops to include an end to American political and economic interference.Kataeb Hezbollah described the withdrawal of “the occupation forces” as “a start towards achieving full sovereignty”, but also threatened Zaidi’s government.“A government that doesn’t work for the good of its people will be brought down by all possible means,” the group said.Iran hails ‘historic victory’Iran’s Revolutionary Guard welcomed the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq on Thursday as a “historic victory” and called for American troops to leave the Middle East.The Guard “congratulate(s) the proud nation of Iraq, the united front of the Islamic Resistance, and the revolutionary fighters of the Islamic world on this historic victory”, they said in a statement carried by official media.Iran-aligned groups have long demanded the departure of US troops, targeting them with drones and missiles and prompting retaliatory US strikes that have killed several faction commanders over the years.During the Middle East war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran and allied factions intensified their attacks in Iraq, targeting US-led troops in the country’s north.