21/09/2026
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21/09/2026
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BAGHDAD, Sep 21: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged to complete the disarmament of Iran-backed militias by June 30, 2027, outlining a phased plan to bring armed groups under state control, The New York Times reported Monday.
According to the report, the process would begin with a 90-day period during which the militias would halt attacks and receive assurances that they would not be targeted by US forces. The groups would then begin handing over their weapons, with the disarmament process scheduled to conclude by June 30, 2027.
Al-Zaidi said the government wants four powerful militias that have resisted disarmament to stop operating as independent armed groups, while their members would be integrated individually into Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Groups that continue operating under their militia names after the deadline would be considered outlaws, he said.
The reported plan comes amid continued uncertainty over Iraq’s efforts to bring weapons under state control. Earlier this month, Al-Zaidi had pledged to disarm powerful Iran-backed groups by September 30, but a senior adviser subsequently said there was no fixed deadline for completing the disarmament process.
Al-Zaidi also told the newspaper that Iraq had lost around $60 billion in revenue since the Iran-US war began, and said Iran had prevented Iraqi oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
