KRI President Barzani, Al-Zaidi support state monopoly on weapons

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) President Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi on Wednesday backed restricting weapons to state control and advancing economic reforms, while pledging closer coordination between Erbil and Baghdad.

Following their meeting in Baghdad, Barzani said the talks focused on the country’s political and economic situation and regional developments. He also voiced support for the government’s reform agenda, citing economic priorities, stronger state institutions, improved public services, and efforts to safeguard Iraq’s sovereignty.

عقدتُ اجتماعًا مثمرًا مع دولة رئيس مجلس الوزراء الأخ العزيز علي الزيدي، في بغداد، تناولنا خلاله مجمل الأوضاع في البلاد والتحديات التي تواجهنا، إلى جانب استعراض آخر التطورات والمستجدات على المستويين الإقليمي والدولي وانعكاساتها على العراق.من جانبنا، أكدنا على دعم الإقليم والعمل… pic.twitter.com/00kCPD0NqF

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) August 5, 2026

Barzani traveled to the capital to attend a meeting of the State Administration Coalition (SAC), which brings together political blocs and parties participating in the political process from across the country’s communities. Leaders were expected to review the country’s financial situation and security issues.

Restricting weapons to state control remains a key pledge of Al-Zaidi’s government. Several Iran-aligned factions, including Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Al-Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada, continue to reject disarmament while US forces remain in Iraq, although other groups have begun transferring their arsenals to state control ahead of the scheduled end of the Global Coalition's mission on Sept. 30.

Read more: Iraq's September deadline undercuts armed factions' case for weapons