ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi forces are “fully prepared” for the withdrawal of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), scheduled for September 30, with the “historic” milestone coming after the Iraqi army managed to prove itself on the ground, a spokesperson for the prime minister said on Sunday. 

The US-led coalition, brought to Iraq in 2014 at the invitation of Baghdad to help repel a lightning ISIS advance across the country, is set to complete its withdrawal from all Iraqi territory by September 30 – per an agreement between Washington and Baghdad. 

Its withdrawal has long been a key demand for many political forces and armed groups across the country, especially those with strong links to Iran. 

Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, asserted that “the armed forces and security services of all kinds are fully prepared – operationally and field-wise – for the September 30 deadline.” 

“This historic milestone was not the result of chance or political calculations, but rather came about based on an accurate field reading of the reality of self-sufficiency … that our military has achieved in managing the national security file,” Numan told the state-owned al-Sabah newspaper. 

Many pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq had long listed the US-led coalition’s withdrawal as the primary prerequisite for laying down their arms, with the presence of American troops having drawn vast condemnation from Iran-aligned forces. 

The Iraqi government, led by Zaidi, is pushing to restrict weapons to the state and has also set September 30 as the deadline for armed groups to hand over all weapons. 

Zaidi has been particularly vocal about the disarmament initiative, asserting that the armed groups must lay down their weapons, especially as US-led coalition troops are also set to complete their withdrawal by the end of September. 

“This stage will witness the official and practical end of the justifications for the existence of weapons outside the framework of the official state institutions,” Numan affirmed. “Restricting weapons to the state is a constitutional commitment and a sovereign promise that does not carry any ambiguity.” 

Through the US-led coalition’s withdrawal and the restriction of armed groups, Iraq wants to “send a message to the world that it is a fully sovereign state,” the spokesperson added. 

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