Sadrist movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr has given his armed wing one week to complete its break from the movement and join state institutions, as a senior figure in Iraq’s ruling Coordination Framework described “armed resistance” as a “burden on society.”
Sadr said on Wednesday he was merging his armed wing, Saraya al-Salam, into the state and called on Popular Mobilization Forces factions to hand over their weapons.
A day later, he ordered Saraya al-Salam commanders to complete the separation and integration process within a week.
A document issued by Sadr’s office said he had “assigned a number of commanders in Saraya al-Salam to complete the procedures for separating the military side from the movement and move toward integration with state institutions.”
According to the document, Sadr tasked the director of his private office, Haider al-Jabri, the military adviser, Abu Doaa al-Issawi, the jihadist aide, Tahseen al-Hamidawi, and other officials with completing the separation within one week.
The full handover is to be completed by June 5, with the civilian side folded into Al-Bunyan al-Marsous in coordination with official authorities.
Members of the Sadrist movement say Al-Bunyan al-Marsous is a charitable institution that provides social assistance to different groups inside and outside Iraq.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi welcomed Sadr’s move, saying it marked “an important path toward strengthening internal stability and consolidating the principle of restricting weapons to the state.”
Zaidi called on all factions to work under the umbrella of the state and its official institutions, stressing that the state “is the sole authority authorized to carry weapons and enforce the law.”
Sadr had previously announced the dismantling of his armed wing in 2017 and 2019, but his latest position comes as a new government faces regional and international pressure to disarm factions.
Saraya al-Salam is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces through brigades 313, 314 and 315, and carries out security duties in several areas, most notably Samarra.
Rejection of uncontrolled weapons
Asaib Ahl al-Haq, led by Qais al-Khazali, said the movement and its parliamentary wing, the Sadiqoun bloc, believe in the authority of the state and in restricting weapons to its control, rejecting any uncontrolled arms or weapons outside official institutions.
Khaled al-Saadi, a member of Sadiqoun’s political bureau, told the press that “Asaib supports restricting weapons to the state, provided the state can protect Iraq’s security by land, air and sea from various threats.”
Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali said earlier that “a resistance that does not have an integrated project for construction and development may, over time, become a burden on society.”
Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada spokesman Kazem al-Fartousi said his faction’s position on handing over weapons to the government was “firm and not subject to change,” but added that “resistance weapons” would remain as long as the reasons for their existence continued.
Fartousi told the press that “the brigades view their support for Prime Minister Zaidi in managing the state and achieving stability as positive, but at the same time reject the idea of handing over weapons at the current stage.”
He also criticized the idea of “directly integrating all armed formations into the security services,” saying “each side has its own specialization, and any discussion of full integration into state institutions is linked to specific security and political circumstances,” as he put it.
It is widely rumored that five armed factions have agreed to restrict their weapons to government institutions, though no clear details have emerged on how such a process would be carried out. Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Hezbollah, however, have refused to comply with disarmament requests.
Nazem al-Saidi, head of Harakat al-Nujaba’s executive council, said earlier this month that efforts to restrict weapons target “undisciplined” arms that cause “chaos,” not “resistance weapons.”
Disarmament plan
Asharq Al-Awsat revealed on May 9, 2026, that an Iraqi committee, including Prime Minister-designate Zaidi, outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Hadi al-Amiri, was working to complete an “executive project” to disarm armed factions, ahead of presenting it to Washington, amid mounting US pressure to keep militias away from the new government and state institutions.
The committee had presented militia leaders with “ideas on how to disarm,” but some meetings “did not proceed calmly,” according to people familiar with the matter.
The plan includes removing heavy and medium weapons and restructuring the Popular Mobilization Forces, alongside expected changes to sensitive security agencies, including the intelligence service.
But political sources questioned the government’s ability to implement the project, saying it may be aimed at “buying time.” Prominent factions, including Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, have declared they will not hand over weapons “whatever the cost.”
