Al-Nu'man: 30 September Will Eliminate Any Justification for Acting Outside the State

PUKMEDIA

Sabah al-Nu’man, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces.

Sabah al-Nu’man, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, said 30 September marks a strategic transition towards full self-reliance and the management of Iraq’s national security landscape by Iraqi forces.

In a statement to Iraq's state media (INA), al-Nu’man said the date represented a “strategic turning point” in the history of Iraq’s military and security establishment, marking a practical shift towards complete self-reliance and the management of the country’s security affairs by national forces.

He said the occasion demonstrated the readiness and operational capabilities of Iraqi security units while reinforcing the concept of strategic parity in Iraq’s international relations.

According to al-Nu’man, the Iraqi armed forces are now solely responsible for maintaining stability and protecting the country’s airspace and territory, without the need for foreign security guarantees.

“Consolidating national sovereignty is the cornerstone of strength and the legal and operational foundation upon which security agencies rely,” he said.

He added that when national leadership becomes the sole source of security decisions, there is no longer justification for actions carried out outside the framework of the state.

Al-Nu’man said sovereign authority gives Iraq’s security institutions strong legal and public legitimacy to combat crime, disarm unauthorised groups and enforce the law equally, while protecting citizens and upholding their rights.

He further said security agencies across their various formations had helped transform the concept of state authority “from a mere slogan into a tangible reality on the ground”.

He noted that Iraqi security forces had secured federal borders, eliminated terrorist strongholds, dismantled organised crime networks and managed complex security challenges across all governorates, including areas of shared responsibility.

Al-Nu’man concluded by saying the professional performance of Iraq’s armed forces had demonstrated their role as a key safeguard for political decision-making and a fundamental guarantor of Iraq’s unity and national stability.

Iraq is continuing high-stakes negotiations with armed factions as the government seeks to establish a state monopoly on weapons ahead of the 30 September 2026 deadline. The date also marks the deadline for the withdrawal of US-led Global Coalition forces from Iraq, adding further significance to the government’s efforts to bring all weapons under state control.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government is seeking to bring all military arsenals under the authority of state institutions, with the process coinciding with the planned transition of the US-led international coalition’s military mission in Iraq.

The talks are part of broader efforts to consolidate the state’s control over weapons while addressing security and political concerns surrounding armed groups operating outside official state structures.



PUKMEDIA