Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi renewed his government's commitment to restricting the possession of weapons to state institutions, a policy that has become known as the "disarmament of armed factions.” The statement came during al-Zaidi's meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Monday, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. According to a statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office, al-Zaidi told Rubio that his government is working to strengthen Iraqi-American relations and elevate the level of strategic partnership between the two countries through constructive economic cooperation that expands areas of joint work and enhances mutual interests. Al-Zaidi also reaffirmed the government's determination to complete its sovereign obligations and move forward with measures to ensure that arms remain exclusively in the hands of the state, in accordance with constitutional and legal principles. The government statement quoted Rubio as expressing US support for Iraq in consolidating and sustaining internal stability, meeting the aspirations of Iraqis for economic development and greater engagement with the world, and supporting government measures aimed at strengthening state institutions and promoting stability and economic growth. Following the meeting between al-Zaidi and Rubio, Tom Barrack, the US Presidential Special Envoy for Iraq, told reporters on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached to place all weapons under the control of the Iraqi state and to fully resolve the issue by the end of June 2027. This partially aligns with remarks al-Zaidi made to The New York Times. Al-Zaidi outlined his government's plan to disarm armed factions and integrate their members, beginning with a 90-day preliminary phase during which the factions would halt their attacks in exchange for not being targeted by US strikes. This may indicate that al-Zaidi succeeded in persuading Washington to grant additional time to settle the issue of disarming armed factions. Previously, his government had adhered to a September 30 deadline, which coincides with the withdrawal of the US-led international coalition forces from Iraq. Barrack has been quoted by the media as saying that the weapons of all armed groups in Iraq would be brought under control by 2027, with the state becoming the country’s sole armed authority.
