Tarek Chouiref reported that Iraq’s State Administration Coalition issued a stern warning to non-state armed groups operating in the country. During their 37th regular meeting, the alliance emphasized legal consequences under Iraq’s anti-terrorism law for those who defy state control.
The coalition defined any effort to use Iraqi territory as a base for attacks against neighboring countries as a direct threat to national security. Their statement, broadcasted by the Iraqi News Agency, called such acts a violation of the country’s constitution, which prohibits unauthorized armed groups.
A key focus was the need to confine weapons to official security forces and follow the government’s disarmament plan. The timeline is clear: from October 2026, any armed activity outside state control will be handled under the anti-terrorism law. The meeting also touched on economic, financial and border security issues, along with regional efforts to combat terrorism and drug trafficking.
The coalition added its support for peaceful dialogue and de-escalation in regional tensions, opposing the use of force in settling disputes. It also declared readiness to help mediate differences among regional actors.
Coalition’s role in Iraq’s politics
Formed in late 2022, the State Administration Coalition was created to break political gridlock in the country. It unites major Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions, shaping strategic and national security policies while backing the government in parliament. The meeting was hosted by Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi and attended by President Nizar Amedi, Parliament Speaker Haibat Al Halbousi, Supreme Judicial Council Chief Justice Faiq Zaidan, and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani. The government has set Sept. 30 as the deadline for armed groups to disarm, with those failing to do so facing terrorism charges and legal action. The presence of Chief Justice Zaidan at the meeting was viewed as a sign that legal mechanisms are being prepared to address violations, potentially shifting the government’s response from political negotiations to criminal prosecution. The coalition also condemned recent attacks targeting the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). The meeting also discussed Iraq’s economic challenges, calling for diversified oil export routes, higher non-oil revenues, and stronger measures to combat corruption and smuggling.
The warning represents a significant shift in Baghdad's approach, moving from years of political negotiations and accommodation toward the possibility of criminal enforcement against armed organizations operating outside direct state control.
The announcement followed a high-level meeting of the State Administration Coalition, Iraq's governing political alliance that includes major Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish parties. The participation of senior state officials—including Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi, President Nizar Amedi, Parliament Speaker Haibat Al Halbousi, Supreme Judicial Council Chief Justice Faiq Zaidan and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani—underscored the national importance attached to the issue.
Following the meeting, coalition leaders reaffirmed that maintaining security requires restricting the possession and use of weapons exclusively to state institutions. This principle has long been one of the Iraqi government's central objectives, yet its implementation has remained difficult because numerous armed factions have continued operating with varying degrees of independence despite being closely linked to Iraq's security landscape.
The warning comes at a particularly important moment for Iraq's domestic and regional security policies. Baghdad is seeking to strengthen state institutions, prevent unauthorized military actions and reduce the possibility that Iraqi territory could become a battlefield for wider regional confrontations involving neighboring countries. Unlike previous political statements urging restraint, the latest declaration explicitly introduces legal consequences for non-compliance. Rather than relying solely on dialogue with armed factions, the government has now indicated that groups refusing to disarm after the deadline could be treated as organizations violating Iraq's anti-terrorism laws, marking one of the most significant policy shifts since the defeat of ISIS.
Why has September 30 become a crucial deadline? The Iraqi government selected September 30 as the deadline for armed groups to surrender their weapons because it coincides with an important milestone in Iraq's evolving security arrangements with the United States. Under a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington, the withdrawal of American troops is scheduled to reach a significant stage around this period, creating an opportunity for Iraq to redefine its internal security framework. For many years, the continued presence of foreign troops, alongside various armed organizations operating throughout Iraq, created a highly complex security environment. Government authorities have increasingly argued that once the transition involving U.S. forces progresses, there should no longer be justification for maintaining independent armed formations operating outside official state command.
The deadline also provides political clarity. Rather than allowing prolonged negotiations without a fixed timetable, the government has established a clear date by which armed groups must decide whether to integrate into official institutions, surrender their weapons or potentially face legal consequences. Several armed factions have already indicated their willingness to integrate into Iraq's formal security structures. Integration would allow personnel to continue serving within recognized military or security institutions while operating under state authority rather than independent organizational leadership. However, not every group has accepted this approach. Some factions have reportedly resisted disarmament or expressed reluctance to relinquish independent military capabilities, arguing that regional security threats remain. By establishing September 30 as a firm deadline, Baghdad seeks to reduce uncertainty and demonstrate that state authority will increasingly replace informal political understandings.
The principle of limiting weapons exclusively to state institutions has become one of the Iraqi government's central security objectives because successive governments have argued that multiple armed actors weaken national sovereignty and complicate internal governance.
Iraq’s security forces are elevating their combat readiness amid a looming ultimatum from Iran-aligned armed groups, according to reports from Iraq’s state media. The Security Media Cell announced that "under the directive of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, it has been decided to raise the level of security and combat readiness of the security and military forces." The cell added that the directive mandates training exercises and troop movements to maintain high combat readiness across all units, noting that these measures aim to solidify stability and protect public interests.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) has issued an ultimatum granting Iraqi government bodies that have called on the group to disarm "a deadline extending no later than the 23rd of the month of Safar (August 7), to see what actions they will take." Of note, the IRI’s deadline coincides with the anniversary of the end of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War on August 8. Several of the group's leaders fought alongside Iranian forces during the conflict.
The government's push for disarmament follows several drone attacks on regional countries since the start of the war between the US, Iran, and their respective allies, which were allegedly carried out by Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq. Most notably, the UAE in mid-April handed the envoy at the Iraqi embassy a “strongly worded” letter of protest over what it described as “terrorist attacks” launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-aligned armed groups targeting facilities in Gulf Arab states. Abu Dhabi warned that the continuation of such attacks places ties with Baghdad “under highly sensitive strain.”