Iraq's Leaders Demand State-Only Weapons Control Amid PMF Standoff
The declaration emerged from a high-level meeting convened by President Nizar Amidi at Baghdad Palace, attended by Prime Minister Ali Alzaidy, Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi, and Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zaidan. The gathering addressed political, security, economic, and regional developments.
Participants reaffirmed that restricting weapons to the state "a fundamental pillar of the rule of law and state authority," and praised groups and factions that have publicly announced the severing of ties with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in line with constitutional and legal requirements.
The leaders stressed that security and military decisions "must remain exclusively in the hands of the Iraqi state and its constitutional institutions under the authority of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces," warning that violations would be met with judicial accountability. They also underscored the judiciary's role in prosecuting those who abuse public funds, destabilize state institutions, or jeopardize national security.
The military's Joint Operations Command, established to enforce the weapons consolidation policy, formally commenced operations on June 3, with a mandate to develop integration pathways for relevant formations and oversee the transfer of arms, equipment, and military installations to official Iraqi security institutions.
The issue of unregulated armed groups remains one of Iraq's most entrenched security dilemmas. The PMF — a state-sanctioned umbrella organization created in 2014 following a fatwa by top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani to combat ISIS/Daesh — was formally incorporated into the armed forces in 2016, though several affiliated factions have continued to operate with varying degrees of independence.
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