Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq is seeking to unlock around $30 billion in frozen financial guarantees dating back to Saddam Hussein’s rule, but Washington has linked the funds’ release to progress on bringing all weapons under state control, an informed source told Shafaq News on Sunday.

The issue was discussed during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s recent visit to Washington. However, the US administration has not yet taken steps to seek the congressional approval required for the funds to be made available.

Washington has for years urged successive Iraqi governments to place all weapons under state authority and limit the influence of armed groups backed by Iran, warning that a lack of progress on those issues could affect future cooperation between the two countries.

State control over weapons is a central pillar of al-Zaidi’s government program. Since taking office, he has maintained that the authority to carry arms and enforce the law rests solely with the state, calling on armed groups to join official security institutions through legal frameworks.

Earlier this year, an informed source told Shafaq News that the Iraqi government was seeking access to frozen state funds held abroad to help finance the integration of more than 800,000 armed faction members into the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and other security institutions.

Read more: Iraq's September 30 weapons deadline leaves terms of disarmament unresolved