Iraq faces crisis as Shia armed groups defy disarmament

With a September 30 deadline looming, the Iraqi government’s push for monopoly on arms is meeting fierce resistance from powerful factions.Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is facing a mounting political and security crisis as a September 30 deadline to restrict all weapons to state control approaches.While a number of armed groups, such as Saraya al-Salam, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib al-Imam Ali, have agreed to integrate into the state’s armed forces, the defiant stance of some powerful Shia paramilitaries threatens to derail the initiative.Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned Iraqi paramilitary group and one of the country’s most heavily armed factions, has explicitly rejected the government’s mandate, pledging instead to retain what it calls “resistance weapons” and further develop its arsenal.Similarly, the influential Harakat al-Nujaba has said the government’s push to confiscate arms should target illegal weapons causing chaos, not those held by fighters who “defended Iraq, its holy sites, and its people during the most difficult circumstances”.The push for disarmament is heavily driven by pressure from the United States amid the war on Iran, as well as economic challenges associated with it and the need to attract foreign investment.Oil revenues make up more than 90 percent of Iraq’s state budget, but the closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent oil exports down to roughly 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) in March, from 3.3 million bpd.State survivalSome observers say the refusal to disarm by groups holding immense sway brings the very concept of the Iraqi government into question.Speaking to Al Jazeera, Talib Mohammed Karim, a professor of political thought at Mustansiriya University, said maintaining armed factions outside state control undermines the constitutional order.