Iraq to brand unauthorized drone operators as terrorists

Iraq will treat the use of any unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) without official authorization as a terrorist act, regardless of the operator’s organizational affiliation, the Interior Ministry said.

Major General Miqdad Miri, the Ministry's head of media and public relations, made the announcement during a press conference, Shafaq News reports.

“Any drone that flies without authorization, and those who launched it, will be considered terrorists, regardless of their affiliation,” Miri said.

He added that the deadline for registering weapons is December 31, 2026, after which unregistered weapons will be deemed illegal.

Miri also announced the closure of 71 fictitious headquarters associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, known as Al-Hashd al-Shaabi.

According to the official, a government committee currently maintains a database covering around 6 million weapons across Iraq. Authorities have established 845 weapons-registration centres nationwide and issued licenses and permits for more than 160,000 weapons.

Some 143,000 weapons have been seized or confiscated, while authorities have resolved cases involving the theft of more than 2,600 weapons. More than 500,000 weapons held by civilians have also been registered, Miri said.

The measures are part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen state control over weapons.

Iraq’s new government, led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, announced at the end of June that it would introduce measures aimed at placing all weapons under state authority.

On June 29, the government set September 30 as the deadline for completing the process. Al-Zaidi reiterated the deadline several times in July, warning that authorities would not permit any group to possess weapons outside the framework of the state after that date.

By Vafa Guliyeva