Shafaq News - Baghdad

The Iraqi group Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) on Saturday rejected calls to disarm, linking any such move to the withdrawal of US forces and other foreign troops from Iraq.

In a statement, the group argued that Iraq’s sovereignty and security, along with preventing foreign interference, must be guaranteed before any discussion on consolidating weapons under state authority, stressing that its weapons will ‘’remain in the hands of its fighters.’’

Engagement with the government will occur only after the withdrawal of all ''occupying forces, NATO troops, and the Turkish army,” the statement added, insisting that ''the weapons are not personal property and cannot be seized before national sovereignty is secured and citizens are protected.''

Kataib Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist organization by the US in 2009, is among Iraq’s most powerful Iran-aligned factions and has repeatedly faced accusations from Washington of attacking US-led Coalition forces in Iraq.

The brigade’s statement follows an earlier message from Faiq Zidan, Head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, indicating that armed factions had agreed to place weapons under state control.

The initiative gained momentum when Shibl Al-Zaidi, Secretary-General of the Imam Ali Brigades (Kataib Al-Imam Ali), recently supported the initiative. He was soon followed by Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, the Sayyid Al-Shuhada Brigades, and Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya (HAAA)—all Iran-aligned groups and key components of the legally recognized Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

For months, the United States has urged Baghdad to reduce the influence of armed factions, dissolve them, and bring all weapons under state control. Washington has also pressed that these groups should not participate in the new government, particularly after winning an estimated 80 of 329 seats in the Iraqi Parliament.

Read more: Diverging views emerge on disarming Armed Factions in the Middle East