The United States is insisting that the Iraqi government establish full control over weapons in the country, pushing back against a possible compromise reported by MBN to allow militia groups tied to Iran to transfer their arms to a third party.
A senior U.S. administration official told MBN that Washington “fully supports the disarmament of the factions and the transfer of their weapons to the central Iraqi government.”
The official said transparency with the United States and regional partners over how the process is carried out would be “critical to its success.”
The United States has been clear with Baghdad that Iraq must safeguard its sovereignty and prevent Iran-backed factions from carrying out attacks from Iraqi territory, the official said.
The remarks followed discussions in Iraq over a plan to place faction weapons in the custody of the Popular Mobilization Forces, known as the PMF, a group of Shiite militias that operate as an auxiliary of the government forces while retaining a measure of independence.
Washington’s position comes as Baghdad draws closer to a Sept. 30 deadline for placing all weapons under state control. But Iraqi factions and political forces have yet to agree on how the decision will be implemented.
An official with knowledge of the matter told MBN that the deadline might be extended. The Iraqi government, however, has not announced a delay or confirmed an agreement to transfer faction weapons to the PMF.
MBN previously reported, citing Iraqi sources, that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government was considering a compromise that would transfer faction weapons to the PMF rather than directly to the central government.
An official within the Coordination Framework, a dominant political faction made up of Shiite groups, told MBN its forces and the prime minister had reached an understanding that their weapons would be surrendered to the PMF.
Under the proposal, the PMF would collect and store the weapons before the deadline.
The issue comes amid heightened Iranian involvement in discussions over the future of the factions’ weapons. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf discussed the issue with Iraqi political leaders during meetings in Baghdad on Aug. 19.
MBN previously reported that Qalibaf said the militias should be allowed to retain their weapons or deposit them with the PMF rather than surrendering them to the government.
Two factions — Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali — announced on June 2 that they were ending their affiliation with PMF formations and beginning steps to bring their weapons under state control. Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and Harakat al-Nujaba, however, continue to maintain their weapons.
The United States has designated all five groups as terrorist organizations.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
