Kataib Hezbollah sets conditions for disarmament, issues threat to official known as al-Zaydi

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Kataib Hezbollah, a faction operating under Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella, outlined conditions for joining the country's disarmament process, saying its weapons would be handed over only if all armed groups are disarmed simultaneously and under the same terms. The group issued a public statement responding to disarmament calls conveyed through the National Security Adviser, rejecting the approach in sharply worded language. The faction also directed a threat at a figure publicly known as Zeydi, using an Arabic expression meaning "face to face, tooth to tooth" to signal that its message had been received. The statement did not name the official's full title or role in the disarmament discussions. The development, centered in Baghdad, illustrates the position of armed groups resisting the Iraqi government's disarmament policy. No further details on the timetable or scope of the proposed parallel disarmament were immediately available.