ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s Interior Ministry said Monday that any drone launched without government authorization will be treated as a “terrorist act,” as Baghdad moves to curb attacks launched from its territory and disarm armed groups operating outside state control.

Since the US-Iran war broke out in late February, Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq have launched scores of attacks on US interests across the region, including in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

Miqdad Miri, head of relations and media at the interior ministry, said “any drone that takes off without authorization will be treated as a terrorist act.”

A day earlier, Iraqi counterterrorism forces said they had dismantled “a network” and seized drones allegedly intended to “carry out attacks with specific targets.”

The move comes as Baghdad seeks to disarm all armed groups by the end of September.

Since assuming office, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has made the disarmament of armed groups a key priority of his government, coming as attacks by pro-Iran Iraqi militias on neighboring countries have been detrimental to the country's diplomatic relations and provoked retaliatory strikes.

In late July, Saudi Arabia and the US conducted large-scale joint airstrikes targeting pro-Iran armed groups across Iraq, killing and injuring dozens, drawing condemnation from Baghdad and upping the urgency to control actors operating outside of state control.

While several pro-Iran armed factions have announced their willingness to hand over their weapons and integrate into the state security apparatus, others have expressed skepticism. 

The disarmament initiative is heavily backed by Washington, which has long pushed for the groups – many of which have strong ties to Iran – to be disarmed.