Iraq paramilitary groups say they will disarm — will it happen? Al Jazeera analysis

According to the Al Jazeera analysis, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told a Baghdad press briefing that "the principle of disarmament has been accepted by the main factions within the PMF including Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Hezbollah Brigades, but there are 14 sticking points on technical calendar and political integration in total." Officials said transferring 240,000 paramilitary members into the army structure would require $6 billion a year in payroll cost.

The spokesperson for the High Council for Development and Reconstruction Hisham al-Rikabi said "we are coordinating with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank." U.S. State Department Iraq Director Joey Hood told AJ "the disarmament process is a direct annex of the U.S.-Iran framework and we expect transparency." AJ analyst Nida al-Jabouri wrote from Baghdad that "disarmament is politically easy to announce but hard to implement, and this is the fourth attempt after three failed efforts between 2014 and 2024."

The Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) index rose 1.9% to 1,220 points, with Bank of Baghdad and TBI shares gaining 2.4%. The dinar appreciated 0.3% against the dollar on the Baghdad FX market. JPMorgan Frontier Markets analyst Sin Beng Ong wrote that "Iraq Brady bond yields tightened 18 basis points at 2030 maturity, with active portfolio purchases rising." Not investment advice.