Iraq’s government has drawn a line in the sand, and it comes with a calendar date. Iran-backed armed groups operating in the country have until September 30, 2026, to either disarm or fold into Iraq’s official state security forces.
Government spokesman Haydar al-Abudi announced the deadline on June 10, framing it as the natural consequence of a changing security environment. The date isn’t arbitrary. It aligns precisely with the formal conclusion of the US-led International Coalition’s mission against ISIS in Iraq, a withdrawal first outlined in an agreement signed back in September 2024.
The end of justification
The PMF isn’t a single organization so much as an umbrella covering dozens of armed groups, many of which maintain deep operational and ideological ties to Tehran. Some have functioned as de facto extensions of Iranian foreign policy, operating with significant autonomy from Baghdad.
Al-Abudi’s message was pointed. After September 30, “there will be no justification for unregulated weapons.” Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has been blunt about this. There will be no justification for armed factions to operate independently once US forces complete their departure.
