Shafaq News – Baghdad

US President Donald Trump’s Envoy to Iraq, Mark Savaya on Monday, welcomed Iraq’s armed groups recent steps toward disarmament, describing the move as encouraging and aligned with guidance from Iraq’s top religious authority.

Writing on X, Savaya praised the religious authority’s wisdom, moral leadership, and principled guidance, noting that it continues to serve as a moral compass for the country.

He cautioned, however, that declarations of intent alone would not suffice, stressing that any disarmament process must be irreversible and implemented within a clear and binding national framework.

“Such an approach would require the full dismantling of all armed factions and ensure an orderly and lawful transition of their members into civilian life,” he wrote, adding that Iraq’s constitution and the rule of law prohibit “any political party, organization, or individual from possessing or operating armed formations outside state authority.”

Underscoring the exclusive right to bear arms and use force must rest with legitimate state institutions, Savaya concluded that Iraq now stands at a decisive crossroads: either advance toward “sovereignty, stability, prosperity, unity, and the rule of law,” or remain caught in cycles of fragmentation and insecurity.

The remarks come amid an intensifying internal debate over weapons outside state control. Over the past 48 hours, several Iran-aligned factions, including Kataib Imam Ali, Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya, and Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada, indicated readiness to support limiting arms to the state. Supreme Judicial Council head Faiq Zidan noted that those groups had responded positively to guidance urging cooperation with state institutions and a shift toward political activity once armed action is no longer justified.

Other factions rejected that path. Kataib Hezbollah maintained it would not disarm, arguing that state sovereignty and security must first be ensured through the withdrawal of US, NATO, and Turkish forces, while framing armed resistance as a legitimate right.

Savaya was appointed in October as US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Baghdad, becoming the third to hold the post since 2003. Earlier this month, he urged an end to armed groups operating outside state authority, warning against their participation in government, a stance that has heightened political sensitivity ahead of his upcoming trip to Iraq.

For years, US officials have pressed Baghdad to bring all weapons under state control and to bar armed factions from the next government, according to Iraqi officials. Those demands have grown increasingly central to post-election negotiations.

Read more: US Envoy’s tough message collides with Iraq’s new political reality