Iraq sets June 2027 deadline to disarm Iran-backed militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged to disarm the country’s Iran-backed militias by June 2027, setting an unusually ambitious deadline for bringing the fragmented network of armed groups under state authority.

The phased plan, which al-Zaidi outlined for the first time in an interview with The New York Times in Baghdad, is expected to play a key role in how Iraq navigates its delicate relationship with its two most important allies, the United States and Iran.

“This is not something that is optional. It is a necessity,” al-Zaidi said of the proposed disarmament process during his first interview with foreign media at his official residence. “Others who spoke of this then backtracked,” he added. “They yielded to pressure or to other concerns. For me, this issue, along with that of corruption, is a matter of honor.”

The Iraqi government is facing growing pressure from the Trump administration, its most important security and economic partner, to curb the Iran-aligned groups, which have expanded their influence beyond the battlefield into the country’s political system. Meanwhile, Iran, Iraq’s neighbour, is working to strengthen its position in Iraq and make greater use of the militias amid its conflict with Washington.

Under the proposed roadmap, the process would begin with a 90-day ceasefire, after which the militias would start handing over their weapons. Iraqi authorities aim to eliminate independent armed formations altogether by integrating their members into the state-run Popular Mobilisation Forces. Once the deadline expires, any groups that have refused to join the process will be declared illegal.

By Jeyhun Aghazada