🔸Iraq sets a new deadline for armed groups to hand over weapons

Ali al-Zaidi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, announced on Thursday, 9 Mehr (1 October), that the country’s armed groups must hand over their weapons to the government no later than 30 June 2027.

According to the Iraqi prime minister, this process will be carried out based on “a clear roadmap and a mutually agreed timetable.”

The new deadline was announced after the end of the mission of the international coalition led by the United States in Iraq. The Iraqi government had previously set 30 September of next year as the deadline, but backed away from implementing it on that date.

In a statement, al-Zaidi said that 1 October 2027 would mark the serious start of addressing the issue of weapons beyond government control.

The Iraqi government has not yet announced details about how the weapons would be collected or any possible action against groups that refuse to hand over their weapons.