Muqtada al-Sadr, Leader of the Sadrist Movement and Prominent Shia Cleric. Photo: Al-Sadr's media office
Al-Sadr said members of Saraya Al-Salam, previously linked to the Sadrist movement (now renamed the Iraqi National Shiite Movement), would be integrated into state institutions and placed under the authority of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi.
In a statement on his social media accounts, Al-Sadr said the decision was taken in response to risks facing Iraq and aimed at strengthening state authority.
He added that the civil and administrative bodies linked to Saraya Al-Salam would be transferred to the “Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous” framework, without retaining headquarters, weapons, uniforms, titles, or any other organizational symbols.
Al-Sadr also called on all armed groups within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to distance themselves from “partisan and sectarian systems” and hand over their weapons to the state.
He noted that he had advocated such a step years earlier, arguing that limiting arms to state institutions was essential for preserving Iraq’s sovereignty and internal stability.
The announcement marks one of Al-Sadr’s most significant positions on armed groups since the defeat of the IS group in Iraq and comes amid renewed debate over the role of non-state armed factions and efforts to strengthen state control.
Prime Minister Al-Zaidi welcomed the move, describing it as a “responsible national stance” that supports state institutions and reinforces the rule of law.
In a statement posted on X, he said the initiative was “an important step toward enhancing internal stability, consolidating the principle that arms must remain exclusively in the hands of the state, and supporting security institutions in carrying out their constitutional and national duties.”
He urged all armed factions to follow the same path by operating under the umbrella of the state and its official institutions.
“The state is the only entity authorized to monopolize weapons and enforce the law,” Al-Zaidi said, stressing that the current phase requires all political and security actors to prioritize Iraq’s national interest, unity, and stability.
He added that strengthening public trust in state institutions depends on building a strong state governed by the rule of law.
Saraya Al-Salam, formerly known as the Mahdi Army, has long been one of Iraq’s most influential Shia armed groups and played a major role in the fight against the Islamic State group after 2014.
However, it has also periodically been at the centre of political and security tensions in Iraq, particularly during periods of confrontation between rival Shia factions.
Al-Sadr’s move is likely to renew debate over the future of armed groups operating outside formal state security structures and broader efforts by Iraqi authorities to consolidate state control over security affairs.
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