DNA
DUBAI: Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Baghdad aims to complete the disarmament of Iran-aligned militias by June 2027, setting a deadline for bringing the country’s powerful armed factions under government control.
Under the proposed plan, the militias would first observe a 90-day period without launching attacks, while receiving assurances that US forces would not target them, al-Zaidi told The New York Times.
The groups would then begin surrendering their weapons, with the government aiming to complete the process by June 30, 2027.
The militias, however, are seeking an extension through the end of 2027, the NYT report added.
Al-Zaidi had initially said during the summer that the militias would be disarmed by Sept. 30, when the last remaining US forces were due to leave Iraq.
The armed groups quickly rejected the deadline, prompting Iraqi officials to walk back the announcement and clarify that Sept. 30 would instead mark the start of the disarmament process.
His government has since established a committee to negotiate the terms with the militias, with al-Zaidi saying the agreed timeline is expected to be announced on Sept. 30.
“This is not something that is optional. It is a necessity,” al-Zaidi said of his disarmament plan, in his interview.
“Others who spoke of this then backtracked,” he said. “They yielded to pressure or to other concerns. For me, this issue, along with that of corruption, is a matter of honor.”
“Arms have to be confined first so you can build a solid economy,” he said.
The plan comes as the Trump administration presses Baghdad to curb armed groups linked to Iran that have gained considerable military and political influence.
Tehran relies on allied militias as part of its confrontation with the United States.
These militias have struck repeatedly at neighboring Kuwait and Jordan, as well as energy sites in Iraq and the US Embassy in Baghdad.
This month, Saudi Arabia said that a series of drone attacks that originated from Iraqi territory has hit the kigndom’s east-west oil pipeline, which provides 4 percent of global oil supplies. The attack prompted the kingdom to shutdown the crucial pipeline.
Al-Zaidi is attending United Nations General Assembly in New York for the first time since he his appointment to office.
He held a meeting on Monday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the New York summit.
