Iraq’s top political leadership has issued its strongest warning yet to Iran-backed armed groups, stating that failure to comply with the September 30 deadline for disarmament will result in terrorism charges.

Axar.az reports, citing The National, the threat came after a meeting late on Wednesday for the State Administration Coalition, a group of top Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political parties who form the government. It is larger than the Co-Ordination Framework, which includes only Shiite parties, and its backing to the government is essential to demonstrate broad political legitimacy.

The meeting, which was hosted by Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi, also brought together President Nizar Amedi, Parliament Speaker Haibat Al Halbousi, chief of the Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zaidan and President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani.

The meeting, which was hosted by Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi, also brought together President Nizar Amedi, Parliament Speaker Haibat Al Halbousi, chief of the Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zaidan and President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani.

In a statement, the coalition reaffirmed its support for the “continued efforts to maintain security and stability and the efforts to confine weapons to the hands of the state".

It then drew a red line on cross-border attacks launched pro-Tehran militias. Several attacks have been carried out since the start of the Iran war against US assets in solidarity with Tehran.

It also expressed support with the government in “preventing the use of Iraqi lands as a launchpad to attack neighbouring countries or dragging Iraq into conflicts that do not serve the interests of its people".

The statement went further, directly addressing these armed groups. “The coalition considers that whoever engages in this behaviour commits a crime of threatening the country’s security and will be among the outlaws who must be fought,” it said.

The Iraqi government has set a September 30 deadline for disarmament, the same date given to US troops to leave the country in a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington. The presence of the US troops in the country is the main pretext for these militias to keep their weapons. Only three groups have announced their integration into the security forces, while others are still resisting.

After that date, “any armed behaviour outside the framework of the state will be dealt with according to the anti-terrorism law", it said.