ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – An ongoing program by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to restrict weapons to the Iraqi state is not targeted at any specific party but stems from a “comprehensive patriotic perspective” to protect the country, his spokesperson said on Tuesday. 

The Iraqi government under Zaidi has led a renewed drive to disarm armed groups and restrict weapons to state control. The initiative is heavily backed by Washington, which has long pushed for the groups – many of which have strong ties to Iran – to be disarmed. 

“The procedures for regulating weapons and restricting them under the umbrella of the law and official institutions do not aim to offend any party or diminish any national effort,” Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the prime minister, told state media. 

He further defended the initiative as a “comprehensive patriotic perspective” aimed at “preserving the great sacrifices” made by Iraqis in the fight against terrorism. 

The confinement of weapons within the authority of the Iraqi state has emerged as one of the central objectives of Zaidi’s government program.

Several pro-Iran Iraqi factions have already announced their willingness to hand over weapons and integrate into the state security apparatus, with some also declaring willingness to sever their ties with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

Numan stressed that the initiative is being conducted “with the highest degree of restraint and national responsibility that guarantees the prestige of the state and preserves the dignity and sacrifices of its people.” 

The disarmament of the armed groups is also set to coincide with the withdrawal of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) from Iraq, per an agreement between Washington and Baghdad.