Iraq's Coordination Framework sets up panel to negotiate with armed groups on weapons handover

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Coordination Framework has established a special commission to open dialogue with armed factions refusing to hand over their weapons to the state, an informed source said. The panel includes Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri and Hikma Movement head Ammar al-Hakim. The commission is tasked with discussing the practical mechanisms for transferring weapons to the state and defusing tensions between Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and armed factions. It aims to establish direct negotiation channels with groups such as Hezbollah Brigades and the Najaf Movement to prevent the dispute over weapons from escalating into armed conflict. The move comes as a September 30 deadline set by the framework approaches, raising concerns over potential armed confrontations between security forces and non-state factions. The State Administration Alliance had said at an August 5 meeting that weapons must be consolidated under state control and that armed activity outside the legal framework would be treated under counterterrorism law. Iraqi security forces have raised their nationwide alert posture ahead of the deadline, with some commanders' leaves suspended. The Coordination Framework, which is seeking to reconcile with armed groups that have not aligned with the weapons-handover plan, gave no further details on the commission's timeline.