Iraq’s Prime Minister Pushes Militia Disarmament Deadline to June 2027

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in an interview published on 22 September 2026 that the deadline for bringing the country’s armed factions under state control has been pushed back to 30 June 2027, replacing an earlier target of 30 September 2026 that had been tied to the final withdrawal of US-led forces. “This is not something that is optional. It is a necessity,” al-Zaidi said, according to The National.

Why the first deadline slipped

An Iraqi official quoted by The National said there was “significant resistance from militia groups regarding disarmament,” which complicated plans tied to the troop withdrawal timeline. Hardline factions including Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba have said they will not hand over weapons until foreign forces leave Iraq entirely, even as some other armed groups say they have already placed weapons under state oversight. A government-led committee working with the Coordination Framework, the umbrella of mostly Iran-aligned parties and factions in Iraq’s parliament, is overseeing the process. Under the phased plan al-Zaidi outlined, the process would begin with a 90-day halt in attacks by militia groups, during which US forces would also refrain from striking those groups; only after that period would the factions be expected to begin handing weapons over to state authorities.

US pressure continues

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met al-Zaidi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where the two “agreed on the importance of Iraq dismantling militias” and Baghdad exercising full sovereignty over its territory, The National reported, reflecting the US position on the matter. Washington has repeatedly pressed the Iraqi government to rein in Iran-backed armed groups as part of the broader relationship between the two countries.

Why It Matters

Whether Iraq’s government can bring armed factions fully under state authority is central to the country’s long-term stability and to how much control Baghdad exercises over its own security policy. A second missed deadline would raise fresh questions about the state’s capacity to enforce its own decisions on powerful armed groups operating within its borders.