Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s armed factions have agreed to hand over their weapons to the state, the Supreme Judicial Council confirmed on Saturday.

In a statement, Council President Faiq Zidan commended the factions for “enforcing the rule of law” and transitioning from military activity to political engagement, noting that the “national need for armed action has now passed.”

The push has recently begun with a statement by Shibl Al-Zaidi, Secretary-General of the Imam Ali Brigades (Kataib al-Imam Ali). He was followed by Asaib Ahl al-Haq, the Sayyid Al-Shuhada Brigades, and Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA)—groups aligned with Iran 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 insisted 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