US envoy welcomes Iraqi plan to place militia weapons under state control

US Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack on Wednesday welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi's commitment to integrating armed groups into state institutions and placing weapons under government control, calling the development a foundational step toward restored sovereignty and national renewal. Barrack, who also serves as US Ambassador to Türkiye, extended congratulations to Al-Zaidi on social media platform X, stating the move represents "the nascent foundation for a renewed Iraqi self-governance — grounded in restored sovereignty, enduring stability, and the promise of national renewal."

The envoy likewise praised armed factions that have agreed to relinquish their weapons to the state. "We likewise commend those groups whose principled decision to return all weapons to the Iraqi state will contribute to the architecture of order," Barrack said, adding that Al-Zaidi's "confidence is well-placed" and describing the initiative as "only the beginning."

Asaib Ahl al-Haq to disband military wing

Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of Iraq's most prominent Shia political and military organizations, announced on Tuesday that it will form a committee to begin disengaging from the Popular Mobilization Forces and transfer its arsenal to government custody. The group was founded in 2006 as an armed faction that splintered from the Mahdi Army led by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, with Qais al-Khazali serving as its leader since establishment.

The organization has functioned as a significant paramilitary force within Iraq's complex security landscape, maintaining operational independence while participating in the state-sponsored Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella formed to combat Daesh. Its decision to integrate into official state structures marks a notable shift in the country's post-conflict security architecture.

Sadr's earlier disarmament

Asaib Ahl al-Haq's announcement follows a similar move by influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who dissolved his "Peace Brigades" and aligned them with state institutions earlier in the process. Al-Sadr's decision to integrate his fighters into government security frameworks established a precedent that other armed factions are now beginning to follow.

The successive moves by major Shia armed groups signal a potential transformation in Iraq's security sector governance, as factions that emerged during the sectarian violence of the 2000s and the later war against Daesh increasingly submit to centralized authority. Al-Zaidi's government has pursued consolidation of the country's multiple armed actors as a priority since taking office, according to observers.