Iraqi Prime Minister: After September 30, We Will Not Allow Any Party to Carry Weapons Outside State Institutions

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaydi, in a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, emphasized the exclusive control of weapons by the Iraqi government and announced that after September 30, no group outside the government framework will be allowed to carry arms. The meeting took place as Trump spoke of the possibility of signing major oil deals between the two countries and referred to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by that date. Al-Zaydi described the trip as the beginning of an economic partnership, not a military relationship.

• U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaydi as a “hero.”
• Trump spoke of the possibility of signing major oil deals between the two countries.
• Trump said that U.S. forces will leave Iraq by September 30, and in return, American companies will enter the country.
• Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaydi described the trip as his first visit to the United States and the start of an economic partnership.
• Al-Zaydi said that the Iraqi government’s approach is to keep weapons exclusively in the hands of the state, and that this is a fundamental, non-debatable principle.
• The Iraqi prime minister said that so far, many weapons have been received from some armed groups.
• Al-Zaydi added that those who hand over their weapons will become a political and civil party, and the government will work with them.
• The Iraqi prime minister stressed that after September 30, no party outside the government framework will be allowed to carry arms.
• Al-Zaydi said that after September 30, there will no longer be any need for militias, as their existence is a temporary necessity.
• The Iraqi prime minister said that a conference on state sovereignty will be held at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year.
• Al-Zaydi stated that Iraq’s decision is solely in the hands of Iraqis.
• The Etemad newspaper, citing Trump, reported that matters regarding the disarmament of groups in Iraq are progressing well.. Coverage difference: Most media outlets have emphasized the Iraqi prime minister’s remarks on disarming non-state groups and concentrating weapons in the hands of the state after September 30. BBC and Iran International also noted Trump’s comments about the withdrawal of U.S. troops, the entry of American companies, and the economic nature of future relations. Khabar فوری and Ekhtebar covered more details from Al-Zaydi’s remarks about armed groups handing over their weapons and becoming political and civil parties, as well as the holding of a conference on state sovereignty.