Shafaq News..Tension meets dialogue as Iraq approaches September 30

On Aug 30, 2026

Shafaq News

Iraq is stepping up efforts to place weapons under state
control as talks with armed factions continue ahead of the September 30 end of
the US-led Global Coalition’s military mission in the country.

The government announced on August 21 that September 30
would mark the deadline for bringing weapons under state control. Two days
later, however, National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji clarified that the
date referred to the end of the Coalition’s presence and that the process of
bringing weapons under state control would continue gradually afterward. On the
same day, military spokesman Sabah al-Numan confirmed that talks with armed
factions were ongoing and that the central committee overseeing the issue had
made significant progress.

Agreement On Principle, Differences Over Timing

Hasan Fad’am, a senior member of Al-Hikma Movement led by
Ammar al-Hakim, told Shafaq News that placing weapons under state control had
moved beyond a government program to become a political project supported by
major political forces and endorsed by Iraq’s religious leadership.

Fad’am stressed that all sides, including armed factions,
agree in principle that weapons should be controlled by the state. Differences,
he explained, concern the timing and mechanisms of implementation rather than
the principle itself.

He described the talks with the factions as having made
substantial progress, adding that he was not aware of any faction openly
rejecting the principle of state control. Al-Hikma figure expects negotiations
after September 30 “to become more serious and clearly defined, particularly
over how the policy should be implemented.”

From Disarmament to Weapons Management

Security expert Adnan al-Kinani maintained that the
government was clearly seeking to reinforce state authority and restrict
weapons to legally authorized bodies, while some armed factions were seeking to
delay the process because of concerns about possible regional developments
affecting Iraq.

In an interview with Shafaq News, al-Kinani emphasized that
the central issue was not the existence of weapons but whether their use
remained outside state authority.

He called for a process that avoids confrontation and allows
faction members to join official formations, including the Popular Mobilization
Forces (PMF) or the regular armed forces.

“Factions could pursue political and national roles through
alternative channels while protecting their members from becoming targets,” he
argued, warning that external pressure could push Iraq toward dangerous
escalation.

On August 23, political sources told Shafaq News that some
Shiite political leaders were seeking to replace the term “disarmament” with
“weapons management,” with the use of weapons placed under the authority of the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The proposal also links weapons
transfers to the withdrawal of foreign forces and the passage of legislation
governing PMF service and retirement arrangements.

A Coordination Framework (CF) source separately revealed
that weapons handed over by factions could be transferred to PMF storage
facilities rather than to the Defense or Interior ministries. The source also
pointed to political agreement on accelerating legislation governing PMF
service and retirement, including ranks, career progression and rights for
fallen and wounded members.

State Institutions Prepare for The Next Phase

Iraqi state institutions have also begun preparing for a
more formal enforcement phase.

On Wednesday, Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan
discussed with US Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris judicial procedures against
individuals and entities carrying weapons in violation of the constitution and
law, as well as mechanisms for enforcing the rule of law after the Coalition
mission ends.

On the same day, Iraqi security forces described placing
weapons under state control as a matter of national sovereignty and confirmed
that the Coalition withdrawal was progressing according to its timetable. The
Defense Ministry has also been working to strengthen air-defense systems ahead
of the next security phase, while security agencies announced that they had
foiled an attempt to manufacture drones inside Baghdad.

Factions Take Different Positions

Saraya al-Salam, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali have
indicated a willingness to adjust their relationship with state institutions,
while consultations continue with other groups, including Kataib Hezbollah,
Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, according to political and
media sources cited by Shafaq News.

On August 21, a source told Shafaq News that Asaib Ahl
al-Haq had handed over weapons, including drones, at one of its bases south of
Baghdad. The operation was overseen by a committee including representatives of
the Interior and Defense ministries, the National Security Advisory and the PMF
Commission.

Other factions, however, continue to defend what they call
the “resistance weapons,” tying their future to the complete withdrawal of
foreign forces from Iraq and guarantees that the country can defend itself
against external attacks. Shafaq News has reported that Kataib Hezbollah,
Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada remain among the groups
insisting on retaining their military capabilities.

Regional Pressures Shape The Debate

The weapons issue is also connected to wider security
changes across the Middle East since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Ardeshir Pashang, a senior researcher at the Iranian Center
for Strategic Studies and the Iranian Association for West Asia Studies, noted
that Iraq has spent years balancing relations with Iran and the United States
while at times becoming a venue for competing interests between the two powers.

He outlined a difficult balancing act for Baghdad:
preventing armed factions from taking unilateral military decisions while
avoiding a process that could create a new source of instability amid
continuing regional tensions.

“The end of the Coalition’s military mission could remove
one of the main arguments used to justify keeping weapons outside the state’s
direct control,” Pashang observed, adding that strengthening state authority
“could reduce the risk of Iraqi territory being used again in regional
conflicts.”

He maintained that aligning the PMF’s institutional status
with a unified chain of command under state authority would strengthen Iraq’s
sovereignty and stability. Meanwhile, negotiations continue over how faction
weapons would be managed and over legislation governing the PMF.

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