Iraq Sets September Deadline for Pro-Iran Militia Disarmament

The Iraqi government has ordered pro-Iran armed factions to surrender their weapons to state authorities by late September 2026. Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi announced that September 21 serves as the final deadline for handing over weapons and coincides with the scheduled withdrawal of the US-led international coalition, though some reports indicate a broader deadline of September 30.

Ali al-Zaidi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, stated that confining arms to the state is an active policy rather than a slogan. The directive follows pressure from Washington, which previously withheld Iraqi oil revenues to compel action against these groups, and comes in the wake of militia attacks on US facilities following US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier in the year. While groups such as Kataeb Imam Ali and Asaib Ahl al-Haq have indicated cooperation or provided weapons data, other factions continue to resist disarmament.

The announcement precedes a scheduled visit by Prime Minister al-Zaidi to the United States. Separately, the Iraqi government approved a request from Tehran to hold funeral ceremonies for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on July 8.