Kataeb Hezbollah Rejects Disarming, Cites Ongoing Threats to Sovereignty

Kataeb Hezbollah spokesperson Kazem al-Furtusi stated that the group will not relinquish its weapons as long as threats to Iraq's national sovereignty persist. He emphasized that the group's armament is a strategic necessity rather than a personal pursuit. Al-Furtusi rejected proposals to integrate the group's weaponry directly into state security forces, characterizing such suggestions as opportunistic. These remarks follow a decision by Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the National Trend, to integrate the Saraya al-Salam militia into state structures. The Iraqi government continues to implement a program to bring armed factions under state control through the use of specialized committees and established timelines.