Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi political leaders agreed on a mechanism for armed factions to hand over their weapons to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which would register and store the arms under state supervision, a source in the leading Shiite Coordination Framework told Shafaq News on Sunday.

Under the agreement, the PMF —a state security organization comprising mostly Shiite armed factions— would take custody of the weapons, document their types and storage locations, and oversee any subsequent movement of arms or personnel under orders from the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The source said Sept. 30 had been set as the deadline for factions that have resisted relinquishing their arsenals, following understandings between Coordination Framework leaders and Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi.

The arrangement provides a mechanism for implementing a broader agreement reached by the State Administration Coalition, which brings together Iraq's main governing parties. At a meeting on Wednesday attended by senior federal and Kurdistan Region officials, including President Nechirvan Barzani, the coalition reaffirmed that weapons should be restricted to official state institutions.

Read more: Days to disarm Iraq's factions: deadline or negotiable ceiling?

Some armed factions have resisted calls to relinquish their weapons, arguing that their military capabilities remain necessary for “resistance” and protection against regional threats. Kataib Hezbollah Secretary-General Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi has called instead for expanding the group’s capabilities, citing recent regional developments and US-Saudi strikes. Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada have taken similar positions, linking any disarmament to the withdrawal of foreign forces and guarantees against external attacks.

Read more: Iraq under pressure as neighbors threaten to strike factions

Other factions, however, have signaled willingness to reorganize their relationship with the state, as the government pushes to bring security decision-making and control of weapons under state authority.

Iraqi security forces remain on heightened readiness amid regional tensions. Authorities last week raised alert levels nationwide and tightened security measures at checkpoints.