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Baghdad Implicitly Backtracks on Deadline to Confine Weapons to the State

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf meet in Baghdad on Wednesday. (Iraq's Prime Minister Media Office / AFP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf meet in Baghdad on Wednesday. (Iraq's Prime Minister Media Office / AFP)
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Baghdad Implicitly Backtracks on Deadline to Confine Weapons to the State

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf meet in Baghdad on Wednesday. (Iraq's Prime Minister Media Office / AFP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf meet in Baghdad on Wednesday. (Iraq's Prime Minister Media Office / AFP)

The Iraqi government on Friday showed signs of backpedaling on the previously scheduled September 30 deadline to restrict weapons to the state.

In statements to local media, government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said: "September 30 is the date for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, not the final deadline for factions to surrender their weapons."

Speaking on the sidelines of the Baghdad Dialogue Conference, which was attended by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, al-Aboudi stressed that "dialogue with the factions is proceeding regularly and has made significant progress because it stems from the fundamentals of state sovereignty and the interests of the Iraqi people, two pillars that are not disputed."

Al-Aboudi acknowledged "anxiety and disagreement over the mechanisms," though he noted that "this file is subject to dialogue that is moving in the right direction."

Al-Zaidi spoke about these "disagreements" without revealing their details during a panel discussion at the Baghdad Dialogue.

"All political forces completely agree on moving forward with restricting weapons to the state, and work is underway on the mechanisms for handing over weapons and ending this situation entirely," the PM said.

"There is an ongoing dialogue, directly with opposing factions and indirectly with others," he added, pointing out that "most concerned parties have become convinced of the need to hand over weapons, but the dispute is over the mechanism."

"There is no problem with this (dispute) as long as the goal is ultimately achieved," he stressed.

Al-Zaidi said the "weapons restriction mechanism" begins with a faction declaring its cessation of military activity, followed by surrendering its arms to the government, and concluding with disengagement.

When asked what he meant by disengagement, al-Zaidi replied: "The faction will no longer be able to mobilize or direct its fighters; instead, the federal government will do so through the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)."

He stressed that authorities had no intention of becoming embroiled in a military confrontation with any party.

The implicit backpedaling from the September 30 deadline took place amid significant political pressure by factions and leaders within the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework and coincided with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf’s visit to Iraq.

Upon his arrival in Baghdad on Wednesday, Qalibaf declared that "the resistance in Iraq has become an essential element of global power," noting that relations between Baghdad and Tehran are moving toward establishing a "new order" free from foreign interference.

Sources said late last week that Qalibaf carried Iranian proposals to avoid a direct confrontation between the Iraqi government and Tehran-aligned factions, including ideas related to "freezing" or concealing heavy weaponry until a political settlement about the future of the factions' arms is reached.

The details of the proposals could not be independently verified, and no official announcement about them has been made by either Tehran or the Iraqi government.

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Arab World

Lebanon, Britain to Hold Joint Military Exercise Starting Tuesday

A Lebanese flag flies as buildings lie in ruins in Mansouri, as seen from Henniye, Lebanon, September 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A Lebanese flag flies as buildings lie in ruins in Mansouri, as seen from Henniye, Lebanon, September 29, 2026. (Reuters)
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Lebanon, Britain to Hold Joint Military Exercise Starting Tuesday

A Lebanese flag flies as buildings lie in ruins in Mansouri, as seen from Henniye, Lebanon, September 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A Lebanese flag flies as buildings lie in ruins in Mansouri, as seen from Henniye, Lebanon, September 29, 2026. (Reuters)

Lebanon's army will hold exercises with the British military this month, both sides said on Monday, with the drills also to involve personnel and representatives from countries including the United States and France.

Britain has been a key supporter of the cash-strapped Lebanese army and has provided millions of dollars in assistance over the years, including helping train Lebanese soldiers to secure the country's land borders.

The Lebanese army said that the joint "Pegasus Cedar 2026" exercise would begin on Tuesday and aimed to "bolster the capabilities of military units and raise the level of coordination between the Lebanese army and friendly armies".

It said the exercise would include "training on reconnaissance, raids and combat in built-up areas", among other activities.

A British embassy statement said British soldiers based in Cyprus would "join their Lebanese counterparts in the Air Assault Regiment in a landmark military exercise aimed at strengthening bilateral defense ties and enhancing operational readiness".

"Personnel from the armies of the United States and Italy will also take part, with representatives from the armies of France, Cyprus, Qatar, and Jordan joining as observers," it added.

The exercise, to be held over three weeks, builds on a previous UK-Lebanon military training exercise held in September 2023, the embassy statement added.

Lebanese authorities have called for increased support for the country's under-resourced army, which counts some 80,000 personnel and depends heavily on foreign aid.

The military faces enormous challenges in completing its deployment to south Lebanon under a framework agreement reached in June between Israel and Lebanon that involves the disarmament of the Hezbollah group and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Hezbollah drew the country into the Middle East war in March by attacking Israel, which responded with massive airstrikes and a ground invasion.

While violence has dropped since June, Israel still carries out attacks and demolitions, and its troops are occupying a self-declared "security zone" running around 10 kilometers (six miles) inside Lebanon along the border.

The fighting followed another conflict that erupted in 2023 that led to an all-out war the following year.

Last month in Paris, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and Jordan's King Abdullah II, and discussed international support for the country's military.

Arab World

UN Chief Calls for Gaza Ceasefire Ahead of Oct 7 Anniversary

A photograph shows destruction at the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with an Israeli flag fluttering in the background, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph shows destruction at the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with an Israeli flag fluttering in the background, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)
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UN Chief Calls for Gaza Ceasefire Ahead of Oct 7 Anniversary

A photograph shows destruction at the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with an Israeli flag fluttering in the background, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph shows destruction at the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with an Israeli flag fluttering in the background, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza ahead of the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

"It is time for the ceasefire to become permanent. It is time to allow humanitarian assistance at scale. And it is time to respect international law," Guterres said in a statement, calling for a "political path to lasting peace across the whole region."

"Let this anniversary mark not only another year of mourning, but also a renewed determination to build a different future: one in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security, with their rights, dignity, and aspirations fulfilled," Guterres said.

The UN chief acknowledged Israel's casualties in the statement, calling the Hamas attack "abhorrent" for "killing more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals" and the hostage-taking of another 251 people.

Guterres also said Palestinians in Gaza have faced a "massive loss of life, displacement and destruction," without specifying their death toll.

"Their suffering, too, demands an end, now," Guterres said.

Israel's years-long military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 74,200 people according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which is under Hamas' authority and whose figures are deemed reliable by the UN.

Guterres acknowledged that a brief ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump in October 2025, "brought some relief. But it has yet to deliver security, adequate humanitarian assistance or a credible path to recovery and peace."

Israel, which still controls most of Gaza, refuses to withdraw its soldiers until Hamas' disarmament has been verified.

Hamas, for its part, has advocated for gradual disarmament rather than immediate and unilateral surrender of its arsenal.

Since the 2023 attacks, Israel has waged military attacks on several fronts, notably invading southern Lebanon to confront Hezbollah, the movement backed by Tehran, and launching war against Iran in late February alongside the United States.

Arab World

ISIS Attack Kills Iraqi Policeman Near Kirkuk

Iraqi police patrol vehicles are stationed outside the Karkh Court house during the trial of six French citizens accused of terrorism in Baghdad, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi police patrol vehicles are stationed outside the Karkh Court house during the trial of six French citizens accused of terrorism in Baghdad, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)
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ISIS Attack Kills Iraqi Policeman Near Kirkuk

Iraqi police patrol vehicles are stationed outside the Karkh Court house during the trial of six French citizens accused of terrorism in Baghdad, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi police patrol vehicles are stationed outside the Karkh Court house during the trial of six French citizens accused of terrorism in Baghdad, on October 5, 2026. (AFP)

At least ‌one Iraqi federal policeman was killed and four others wounded on Monday when ISIS militants attacked a federal police site southwest of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, two security sources told Reuters.

The attackers used semi-automatic machine guns and sniper fire against the federal police regiment stationed near Hawija, about 70 km (43 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, the sources said.

There ‌was no ‌immediate claim of responsibility. But ‌security and ⁠army sources said ⁠ ISIS militants, who are still active in the area, were involved in the attack.

The attack is the first reported assault by ISIS on Iraqi security forces since US forces completed their withdrawal ⁠from Iraq on September 30, ending ‌the military mission in ‌the country.

The United States had led a ‌coalition that supported Iraqi forces in the fight ‌against ISIS, including efforts to prevent the militant group from regrouping.

Washington said it would continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support after ‌the withdrawal, while Iraqi forces would take full responsibility for the country’s security ⁠and ⁠for suppressing ISIS remnants.

Despite the defeat of ISIS nearly a decade ago, the group retains sleeper cells in Iraq, Iraqi security officials told Reuters ahead of the US withdrawal.

The withdrawal had raised concerns that a security vacuum could provide an opening for ISIS to regain strength, with some officials warning that Iraqi forces would now have to contain the group without the coalition’s military presence.