State of Law coalition proposes separating US withdrawal timeline from militia arms handover

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The State of Law coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, has proposed separating the timeline for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq from the handover of militia weapons to the state, political sources said on Sunday. The proposal would leave a limited interval between the completion of the US pullout and the transfer of weapons to official institutions, giving armed groups additional time to comply. Iraqi political forces have set September 30 as the deadline for handing over weapons to the state. The government said the US withdrawal will continue under previous understandings, and that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's visit to Washington resulted in agreements under which American companies will enter Iraq in parallel with the drawdown. The State of Law proposal is intended to reduce political and security tensions that could arise if the two tracks were pursued simultaneously. In 2024, Iraq and the United States agreed to phase out the international coalition's military mission against ISIS, with the final stage set to conclude by the end of September 2026. The security relationship between Baghdad and Washington will be transitioned into a bilateral partnership framework during that process.