Thursday, 1 October 2026

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared 1 October the “serious beginning” of bringing all weapons under state control. He set 30 June 2027 as the deadline for completing the process under a clear roadmap and agreed timetable. He also reserved decisions of war and peace exclusively to state authorities. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein had said on Wednesday that the government had drafted an implementation plan for presentation in the coming days. Al-Zaidi also committed to legislating the PMF law. The cabinet approved the PMF service-and-retirement bill on Tuesday and referred it to parliament for a vote. The weapons timetable is an announced government commitment, not a completed transfer.

Kataib Hezbollah secretary-general Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi ordered fighters in Iraq to stop military operations and mobile logistical activity on 30 September. His order excepted action against hostile aircraft violating Iraqi airspace until government air defences were complete. Al-Hamidawi said talks with al-Zaidi had produced no result and proposed starting again. He defended separate resistance and government structures while accepting a unified or agreed decision on peace and war. On 1 October, KH denied reaching a disarmament agreement with the prime minister. Ali al-Fatlawi (Ansar Allah al-Awfiya — member) also said factions would not surrender weapons until fully assured of Iraqi sovereignty. On legislation, Al-Janoub TV (Harakat al-Jihad wal-Bina — official) described the PMF bill as passed on 30 September, although the legislative step remains cabinet referral, not parliamentary passage. KH has ordered a suspension of operations, not agreed to surrender its weapons.

The government’s weapons plan also includes fully disarming non-Iraqi armed groups. In northern Iraq, Turkey’s Defence Ministry announced on Thursday that its forces would withdraw from Bashiqa-Zilkan, northeast of Mosul, and hand the base to Iraqi authorities in stages. It linked the transfer, agreed by Baghdad and Ankara on 23 September, to progress in Iraqi government security measures in Sinjar. Turkey said military support would continue through bilateral agreements on training, counterterrorism expertise, capacity-building and defence-industry cooperation. The ministry gave no completion date for the staged handover.

Elsewhere in the north, Middle East Eye reported three Iranian drones hitting a camp belonging to an Iranian Kurdish opposition party in Koya on 28 September. Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said “the threat is real — we are vulnerable, we are being attacked”. The Peshmerga Ministry had warned before the withdrawal that the Region would be left without an air-defence system. Al-Zaidi now pledges to begin purchasing a complete system. The KRG called the coalition mission’s end a transition, not a farewell.

Separately, Indian Oil Corp bought October Iraqi oil at a $32/bbl discount to Dubai, sources told Reuters. SOMO had offered discounts of up to $37 on Basrah crude, following late-September offers as high freight costs complicated purchases. Iraq is also India’s second-largest crude supplier. SOMO’s Basrah Heavy loading window begins today, following its tender for two million barrels to load between 1 and 7 October.

Kataib Hezbollah secretary-general Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi ordered fighters in Iraq to stop military operations and mobile logistical activity on 30 September. Al-Zaidi that day announced the end of the US-led coalition mission, and the Pentagon confirmed the departure of its personnel and equipment. Al-Hamidawi’s order excepted action against hostile aircraft violating Iraqi airspace until government air defences were complete. Al-Ittijah TV (KH — official) and Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) carried that endpoint, while Al-Ghadeer TV (Badr Organization — official) and iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) carried shorter versions without it. KH had earlier claimed continuing US reconnaissance and military flights over Iraq and communications concerning US personnel movements through 30 October. Al-Hamidawi also said talks with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had produced no result and proposed starting again. He defended separate resistance and government structures while accepting a unified or agreed peace-and-war decision. On 1 October, KH denied reaching a disarmament agreement with al-Zaidi.

Al-Zaidi nevertheless declared 1 October the serious beginning of bringing weapons under state control, with completion due by 30 June 2027. He reserved decisions of war and peace exclusively to the state. He also committed to fully disarming non-Iraqi armed groups, purchasing a complete air-defence system and legislating the PMF law. Uday Awwad (AAH — Sadiqoun bloc head), speaking on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) on 30 September, said sovereignty required arms in state hands, protected borders and national decisions free of outside dictates. Watan TV (Badr Organization — affiliated) relayed the Babylon Movement’s demand that state control of arms apply across every Iraqi province. On 1 October, Ali al-Fatlawi (Ansar Allah al-Awfiya — member), according to وكالة الصحافة المستقلة, said factions would not surrender weapons until fully assured of Iraqi sovereignty. That preserves the sovereignty condition he set on 24 September, rather than announcing a transfer.

On the PMF legislation, Al-Janoub TV (Harakat al-Jihad wal-Bina — official) described the bill as passed on 30 September. The cabinet had approved a bill covering structure, service and retirement and referred it to parliament for a vote. Qusay Abbas al-Shabaki (Badr Organization — parliamentary bloc), speaking on Al-Ahad TV that evening, called for a parliamentary vote. He predicted enactment within one month and claimed agreement on passage. The reported legislative step remains cabinet referral, not parliamentary passage.

Separately, the Sadiqoun parliamentary bloc acknowledged on 1 October the announced understanding with the United States to resume cash-dollar shipments to Iraq. In statements carried by Al-Ahad TV, it welcomed steps easing pressure on citizens and restoring exchange-rate stability. The bloc said Iraq’s economy must not remain hostage to decisions abroad and placed economic sovereignty alongside military sovereignty. Shabab al-Islam (Ashab al-Kahf — owned, non-official) had on 30 September republished an April 2026 statement from the Iraqi Islamic Action Organization demanding removal of holds or restrictions on Iraqi funds and oil-export revenues. The organization called for state management of those revenues in the public interest, with stronger oversight and accountability.