Iraq's PM Faces Crisis as Shia Armed Groups Defy Disarmament Deadline

Iraq's prime minister is facing a serious political crisis after powerful Shia paramilitary factions refused to comply with a government disarmament order, with a September 30 deadline for handing over weapons now fast approaching, officials and analysts say, describing the standoff as one of the toughest tests yet of the government's authority.

The armed groups, many aligned with Iran-backed militias that fought alongside Iraqi forces against ISIL, argue that disarmament would leave the country vulnerable and have publicly rejected calls to fold their weapons into state security structures, insisting instead on operating independently.

The standoff threatens to deepen divisions within Iraq's governing coalition and complicates Baghdad's efforts to assert full state control over armed actors, at a moment when Washington has pressed regional allies to rein in Iran-aligned forces as the deadline nears.