Hamoudi says restricting weapons to state control is Marjaiya demand

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Islamic Supreme Council head Humam Hamoudi said Sunday that restricting weapons to state control is a demand rooted in Iraq’s religious authority and requires “a national, constitutional and legal vision.”

In a public speech, Hamoudi said “the people are bigger than the parties” and should act as “a watchdog over the government” while confronting external interference, which he said “should not pass without a courageous public response.” He said the incoming government must draw its strength from “closeness to the people” and field follow-up on public concerns if it wants to succeed.

Hamoudi added that limiting weapons to state control is “a Marjaiya demand, not one from outside the country” — framing the issue as a domestic religious imperative rather than a response to U.S. pressure. The Marjaiya is the senior Shiite religious authority led by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, whose guidance is followed by millions of Shiite Muslims across Iraq and beyond.

The remarks add to a growing chorus of voices on the issue ahead of cabinet formation. Muqtada al-Sadr called Friday on Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi to reorganize armed factions under state-controlled structures and exclude parties with armed wings from the next cabinet, saying those who refuse “should be considered outside the law.”

Former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi separately advised Zaidi against direct confrontation with factions, urging political dialogue and diplomatic mechanisms instead.