Dispute Over Arms Control in Iraq
Iraqi armed faction Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada has publicly rejected assertions by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein that it agreed to a government plan to disarm or place its weapons under state authority. In a statement reported by Press TV and Kurdistan 24, the group dismissed Hussein’s comments as inaccurate, asserting that it had neither declared, endorsed, nor signed any agreement concerning the regulation or handover of its weapons.
The denial followed remarks by Foreign Minister Hussein, who told Al Jazeera on Saturday that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had established understandings with four armed factions regarding arms control. According to Hussein, both Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada had consented to regulate their weapons under state supervision, while negotiations with Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Kata'ib Hezbollah remained underway. Hussein asserted that the broader initiative aims to restrict weapons to state control and strengthen the capabilities of Iraq's official security forces.
Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada disputed this characterization of the negotiations. According to its statement, the group signed a sovereignty agreement alongside three other armed factions with the prime minister and parties of the Coordination Framework, emphasizing that it remains firmly committed to the terms of that pact rather than any weapons handover accord. The group also urged Iraqi government officials to maintain accuracy and responsibility in public statements to avoid misleading public opinion.
Hours after the group's statement was issued, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi hardened his stance regarding armed factions operating outside state authority. According to Kurdistan 24, al-Zaidi announced on Sunday that his government will not allow armed groups to continue seizing land and the rights of Iraqi citizens in the name of legitimacy. The prime minister affirmed that Baghdad is taking measures to impose state authority over the entirety of Iraqi territory and eliminate unauthorized weapons outside official institutions to safeguard citizens' rights and preserve national sovereignty.
On August 11, Prime Minister al-Zaidi instructed officials to prepare legislation intended to place weapons exclusively under state oversight, establishing June 30, 2027, as the target deadline to achieve that objective. While Press TV reported that factions including Saraya al-Salam, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, and Kata'ib al-Imam Ali have agreed to merge into the national armed forces, others continue to oppose disarmament. Abdul Qader al-Karbalaei, military deputy of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, declared last month that terms such as disarmament and restriction have no place in their vocabulary, while Kata'ib Hezbollah has committed to maintaining and expanding its arsenal.
According to Iraqi media cited by Kurdistan 24, Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada previously declared adherence to al-Zaidi's plan on October 1 on the condition that the other side honored its reciprocal obligations, having set prerequisites in August that included the withdrawal of United States forces from Iraq.