Interior minister pushes to speed up unlicensed weapons seizures, registration

BAGHDAD — Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari on Wednesday urged faster action to seize unlicensed weapons and continue easing the registration process for citizens.

Al-Shammari chaired the first 2026 meeting of the National Committee for Regulating and Restricting Weapons to the State, attended by committee members and security commanders, the Interior Ministry said.

He stressed “the necessity of continuing work at a high pace to seize unlicensed weapons and facilitate the process of registering them for citizens,” and called for intensified awareness campaigns encouraging registration and reporting.

The meeting is part of a firearms overhaul the ministry launched in January 2024 requiring citizens to register personal weapons. The program established hundreds of registration offices across Baghdad and other governorates and included a buyback initiative and stepped-up enforcement. In December, the ministry extended the registration deadline through the end of 2026.

Years of conflict have left firearms widely available in Iraq, with many owned without licenses. Authorities have faced repeated calls for tighter gun control.