Shafaq News- Baghdad

Qasim al-Araji, adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, denied on Friday that a deadline has been set for the committee tasked with bringing weapons under state control.

In a statement, al-Araji said reports circulating on social media about a fixed timeline for the committee's work were "entirely inaccurate," stressing that no specific timeframe has been set for the process.

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He added that once the committee, formed by the Coordination Framework and operating under the direct supervision of the prime minister, completes its work and weapons are fully consolidated under state control, anyone still found carrying arms illegally will be treated as an outlaw. “Such individuals would face strict legal action and be dealt with as terrorists.” 

A US official told Shafaq News that Washington has informed Baghdad that transparency with the United States and regional partners will be critical to the success of any effort to disarm Iraq's armed factions and transfer their weapons to the central government.

Earlier, Iraqi armed factions have called for a nationwide law governing weapons outside state control, insisting that any measures apply across Iraq and not exclusively to Shiite groups.