Iraqi president welcomes Coordination Framework stance on weapons

BAGHDAD — Iraqi President Nizar Amedi on Tuesday welcomed the Coordination Framework’s support for restricting weapons to state control and Asaib Ahl al-Haq’s decision to separate from the Popular Mobilization Forces, describing both as steps that reinforce state authority.

In a statement, Amedi said he welcomed “the positions and steps” adopted at Monday’s Coordination Framework meeting supporting “consolidating state authority and strengthening its sovereignty,” and expressed support for Secretary-General Qais al-Khazali’s initiative to sever the movement’s links with PMF formations and affirm “the principle of restricting weapons to the hands of the state.”

The president said the move is consistent with “the provisions of the constitution and the law” and would contribute to “security and stability in the country,” adding that “the strength and prestige of the state are embodied in its constitutional and legal institutions” and that measures supporting that goal strengthen state-building, the rule of law and public confidence.

The statement came after the Coordination Framework announced support for restricting weapons to state control and separating the PMF from political affiliations, and after Asaib Ahl al-Haq announced the formation of a committee to implement its separation from PMF formations. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced last week that Saraya al-Salam will separate from his movement and integrate under state authority.

Not all factions have endorsed the direction. Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most powerful Iran-backed militias in Iraq and a key component of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, has repeatedly rejected calls to disarm, arguing its weapons are tied to Iraq’s security and the presence of foreign forces. Other Iran-aligned factions have similarly linked any future disarmament to broader arrangements on foreign military presence. The US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program has offered up to $10 million each for information on three faction leaders: Harakat al-Nujaba founder Akram al-Kaabi, Kataib Hezbollah leader Ahmad al-Hamidawi and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada secretary-general Abu Ala al-Walaei.