Iraq’s June Arms Deadline Puts State Authority to the Test

Iraq’s prime minister has set June 30 as the deadline for bringing weapons exclusively under state control, placing the issue of armed factions at the centre of a test of government authority.

He identified October 1 as the start of a serious effort to address weapons held outside state control. That date falls one day after the withdrawal of international coalition forces.

The prime minister also stressed that decisions on war and peace belong solely to the country’s constitutional authorities, reinforcing the government’s claim to exclusive control over the use of force.

The timetable links the arms issue to a shift in Iraq’s security landscape following the coalition’s departure. Its central challenge will be translating the declared deadline into state control over weapons held by factions.