Restricting arms to the hands of the state in Iraq shifted from a recurring political slogan to an unprecedented actual test for Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government, after several armed factions announced the start of organisational steps to sever their ties with the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) .
The announcement by the " Asaib Ahl al-Haq " movement, led by Qais al-Khazali, and the "Imam Ali Brigades", led by Shibl al-Zaidi, that they had formed a committee to begin implementing a decision to sever ties with the PMF and place their members under the authority of the prime minister came days after an initiative by Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who announced the separation of " Saraya al-Salam " from the PMF.
The move has given the issue of restricting arms a level of political momentum unprecedented in Iraq.
The Iraqi prime minister praised those steps, describing them as reinforcing Iraq's sovereignty.
They have also received direct US attention after US President Donald Trump's envoy to Iraq and Syria, Tom Barrack, congratulated the Iraqi prime minister on Tuesday evening on the beginning of efforts to place arms solely under state control, describing the recent steps as representing "significant progress toward consolidating stability and restoring sovereignty".
Barrack said in a statement on X that "this step constitutes the first building block of a renewed Iraqi governance based on self-administration, and it rests on restoring national sovereignty and consolidating lasting stability, paving the way for a new national renaissance", praising "the groups that decided to return all weapons to the Iraqi state".
Barrack described the factions' decision as "an essential step toward strengthening order and stability and building state institutions", stressing that "the Iraqi prime minister's confidence in the future of these measures is well placed, and what has been achieved today is only the beginning".
Officials believe the timing of these positions indicates that Iraq has effectively entered a phase of reorganising its security landscape in preparation for the post-international coalition era. This stage requires a more centralised security authority capable of monopolising military decision-making.
However, the path toward achieving this goal does not appear easy. The issue of armed factions is not limited to weapons alone but also includes thousands of fighters, hundreds of headquarters, facilities, and organisational and administrative structures built up over many years.
A government source familiar with the matter told The New Arab that "a government committee will follow the file and supervise the implementation of the stages of severing ties with the PMF and organising the transition of armed formations into official frameworks".
The source added that "the committee will work on preparing a comprehensive plan that includes mechanisms for restricting arms, managing the issue of faction members, and reintegrating them into the state's military and security institutions or civilian institutions as needed".
The source pointed out that "the process requires complex legal and administrative procedures due to the large number of personnel, the spread of headquarters, and the presence of military equipment and assets that require inventory, organisation, and restructuring".
Meanwhile, politicians stress that achieving the goal of restricting arms to the hands of the state requires developing military and security capabilities and reorganising roles within official institutions in a manner that ensures the unification of security decision-making and the consolidation of the rule of law, alongside protecting rights and freedoms and enhancing stability in the country.
MP Kazem Atiyah al-Shammari told the state-run Al-Sabah newspaper on Wednesday, 3 June, that "the integration of armed formations into state institutions represents a step toward strengthening the rule of law and consolidating the principle of restricting arms".
He called for "supporting any path that contributes to organising the relationship between the state and armed groups within legal and official frameworks".
"Any organised transition that preserves the rights of fighters and supports the capacities of the state represents a positive step toward enhancing stability," he added.
Al-Shammari stressed that "restricting arms to the hands of the state can only be achieved through practical measures and clear legal pathways that ensure the integration of capabilities able to serve the country within official institutions".
He noted that "supporting this direction is a shared national responsibility".
For many years, the issue of weapons outside state control has remained one of the most complex issues in Iraq. Successive governments have proposed projects to restrict arms, but these efforts have collided with political and security complications that have prevented any tangible progress.
However, recent developments appear different, particularly in light of US pressure regarding the issue.
This time, the initial initiative is not coming from the government alone but is accompanied by official positions from prominent factions regarding severing ties and reorganising their legal status, in addition to political support for this path from forces within the "Coordination Framework" and other political groups. Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here .