Iraq militia control: Asaib Ahl al-Haq to place weapons under state oversight

Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of Iraq’s strongest Iran-backed armed groups, said it would start placing its weapons under government control. The move supported the new government’s plan to bring militias under state command. The group said it set up a committee to run the handover process and work with the armed forces’ commander-in-chief.

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The group said the committee would record its fighters, weapons, and equipment. It also said the decision answered calls from Iraq’s top Shiite religious authority. Asaib Ahl al-Haq also linked the step to the Iran-aligned Coordination Framework. The bloc is the largest in Parliament and holds major influence in Iraqi politics.

Iraq government control of weapons and militia integration

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has faced pressure from Washington to tighten state control over weapons. Al-Zaidi, a 40-year-old banker, was sworn in last month. Al-Zaidi made a state monopoly on arms a central part of the programme. The Trump administration warned against governments shaped by Iran-linked factions.

US policy also linked defence cooperation and funding to steps that limit the militias. Many Iran-backed groups receive money through Iraq’s state budget. Several are also embedded in the security system. However, Baghdad does not control them directly. Critics said this weak control enabled attacks and raised doubts about Iraq’s stance.

Iraq militias, Iran-backed factions and US tensions

Conflict across the Middle East highlighted Iraq’s weak state institutions. It also showed limits on restraining armed groups. At the same time, a parallel clash grew between Washington and the militias. Factions acted as part of Iran’s regional campaign. They stepped up attacks on US assets in Iraq.

Those attacks eased only after a fragile ceasefire deal was reached in April. Another key step came a week ago from Muqtada al-Sadr. The Shiite cleric said the Saraya al-Salam militia would leave the political movement. The group, also called the Peace Brigades, would then join state institutions.

Iraq Coordination Framework factions and disarmament split

Not all armed factions tied to the Coordination Framework supported bringing weapons under state control. Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba rejected disarmament. They connected the issue to Iraq’s sovereignty. They also cited the presence of foreign troops. These positions added strain to government efforts to centralise power.

Kataib Hezbollah backed other factions placing weapons under state authority. Still, Kataib Hezbollah said its own armed work would continue. It described this as resistance work. In a recent statement attributed to its Abu Mujahid al-Assaf social media channel??? TV channel? Telegram channel? Something else altogether?, it said it would coordinate with the Popular Mobilization Forces.

The Popular Mobilization Forces is a state-backed umbrella of mostly Shiite armed groups. The PMF formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group. Many PMF factions still keep their own chains of command. Several also maintain links to Iran. These ties remained a key issue in efforts to strengthen state control.

With inputs from PTI