ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior security official of Iraq's pro-Iran Kata'ib Hezbollah said Wednesday that negotiations over regulating armed factions' weapons remained at "square one," accusing Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi of failing to respond to a proposed agreement and demanding clarification of Baghdad's positions on regional conflicts and Iraqi sovereignty.
"To this day, the Islamic Resistance has not received an official response from the prime minister regarding the weapons regulation document that was agreed upon via the framework negotiation committee, which indicates that it is still at square one," Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, the group's security chief, said in a statement published on Telegram.
Assaf's remarks come amid continuing disagreements between the Iraqi government and powerful pro-Iran armed factions over Baghdad's efforts to bring all weapons outside state control under government authority.
The government initially sought to resolve the issue by September 30, coinciding with the end of the US-led coalition's military mission in Iraq, but later extended the deadline to June 30, 2027. Several Iran-backed factions have disputed the timetable, saying that no final agreement has been reached.
Not all Iran-backed factions have taken the same position. On October 1, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada announced its conditional support for an agreement on regulating weapons and the prime minister's pledge to bring arms under state authority, provided other parties fulfilled their commitments. Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, however, have continued to challenge the disarmament process.
The dispute comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz, where attacks on commercial vessels have intensified and the United States is reportedly weighing renewed strikes on Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that further American attacks would be met with a forceful response, raising concerns that another escalation could draw pro-Iran Iraqi factions back into the conflict.
Earlier this month, Zaidi said armed groups had agreed to a roadmap for bringing their weapons under state control by June 2027. However, Kata'ib Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella grouping of Iran-aligned factions, rejected suggestions that they were bound by any government timetable.
In Wednesday's statement, Assaf said his group was seeking clarification from the prime minister out of concern for Iraq's stability and security, presenting eight questions about the government's foreign policy and its response to regional developments.
He demanded that Zaidi clarify Baghdad's position on US sanctions against Iran, Israeli military operations in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia's actions in Yemen, and what he described as Emirati interference in Iraqi affairs.
Assaf also asked what the premier's position was regarding what he referred to as “violations” of Iraqi airspace despite US withdrawal.
The military chief also questioned whether US President Donald Trump had asked Zaidi to normalize relations with Israel.
Assaf's statement also addressed the arrests of individuals accused of desecrating the US flag during celebrations marking the withdrawal of coalition forces.
"It is the right of Iraqis to burn and crush the flags of the American and Zionist enemies, and it is their right to accuse anyone who deals with them of treason," he said.
He urged supporters to designate one or more days annually for burning and trampling the flags.
The remarks follow arrests ordered by Zaidi after members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were filmed driving vehicles over US and Israeli flags laid on the ground during a procession in Baghdad.
