Iraqi PM Vows State Monopoly on Weapons as Some Armed Groups Resist Integration

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zeydi reaffirmed his government's commitment to ensuring weapons remain exclusively under state control, a principle rooted in the Iraqi Constitution. His administration is conducting political and security-focused dialogues with armed groups, seeking either the surrender of weapons or the integration of fighters into official state institutions. Some factions have signaled support for the initiative. Muqtada al-Sadr's political movement backed Zeydi's government following his decision to sever ties between Saraya al-Salam and the Hashd al-Shaabi, while Asaib Ahl al-Haq also cut its connections to the paramilitary force. However, groups including Nujaba, Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Hezbollah Brigades have refused to surrender their weapons, representing a key challenge for the new government. Iraq's Constitution, specifically Article 9, and the 2017 Weapons Law prohibit the formation of non-state military militias and unauthorized weapons possession. The United States has maintained political and economic pressure on Baghdad to reduce the influence of armed groups, while Iran considers such factions a component of its regional influence network.