What does al-Sadr’s statement about the integration of the “Peace Brigades” into the Iraqi state mean?

Baghdad – The decision by the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, to disassociate the Peace Brigades from the movement and attach them to the Iraqi state opened the door to a wide political and security controversy, as it is one of the most sensitive decisions in the armed Shiite environment in recent years. This comes at a turbulent regional stage and mounting internal and external pressures for the government to restrict arms.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi welcomed al-Sadr’s announcement as an important step to strengthen stability and consolidate the principle of arms limitation for the state, and called on other armed factions to work under the umbrella of official institutions.

Commenting on this, the leader of the Sadrist movement, Hakim al-Zamil, believes that the decision was made in the context of the security changes that Iraq has seen since the end of the war against the Islamic State, given that the survival of the brigades as a separate force no longer has the same justification imposed by the circumstances of the past years.

Standardization of decision

According to al-Zamil, al-Sadr’s directive for companies to report directly to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces is aimed at unifying security and military decision-making in the state so that security affairs are managed by a single decision rather than multiple parties and sources of orders, which he described as a necessity for any military or security institution.

He frames the move as part of supporting the government and strengthening its authority, particularly on issues related to war and peace and critical decisions, noting that there is “clear harmony” between al-Sadr and the current government in this approach.

As for the translation of the decision to disengage on the ground, the “Peace Brigades” will move to officially enter the Iraqi security system, as al-Zamili explained that the brigades will be linked to either the Ministry of Defense or the Ministry of Interior, according to the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, while the weapons will be transferred to the Security Agency. integration process.

As for the city of Samarra, which is the most visible center of gravity of the “Peace Brigades”, Al-Zamili ruled out that the shutdown would lead to significant security changes in the city, explaining that the security situation has stabilized after the elimination of sleeper cells and the reduction of terrorist threats.

It does not appear that armed factions are on the verge of laying down their arms today, as the scene is still far from any radical transformation that could force these groups to disband their military wings or hand over their arsenals to the state, and the biggest problem lies in the courting of factions close to Iran, led by “Kata’ib Hezbollah” and “HarujabaAmerican-listed terrorists”.

profit

For his part, Hussein al-Kinan, head of the Target Research Center, told Al Jazeera Net that external pressure and sanctions on the factions are no longer a real deterrent because they have become a reality they have become accustomed to, which will not lead to a fundamental change in their structure or options. At the same time, he notes that some of these factions have already moved to the political action space, leaving the direct military presence, which does not mean that they have completely abandoned their arms.

As for the other forces, al-Kinani said, they still view their weapons as an existing necessity that cannot be abandoned amid ongoing security tensions and repeated violations of Iraqi sovereignty.

As for security expert Fadel Abu Ragif, he believes that Muqtada al-Sadr’s decision has a number of political and security implications, given that the move sought to anticipate any future pressure or calls to dismantle armed factions or hand over their heavy and medium weapons to the government.

In a statement to Al Jazeera Net, Abu Ragif said the move could strengthen al-Sadr’s relations with countries in the region and the international community and give him more credibility, especially if he participates in any political or government arrangements after the upcoming elections.

Reading the position of the Sadrist movement on the armed scene, Abu Ragif believes that al-Sadr has become “the most peaceful and realistic” of the forces with armed wings, whether affiliated with the factions or outside them.

However, it is unlikely that al-Sadr’s decision will become a binding model for all armed factions, indicating that some of them may take similar steps, while others rely on weapons based on doctrinal and ideological considerations unrelated to government decisions or international pressure.

previous steps

This was not the first time the movement’s leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, had announced the disbandment of the Peace Brigades, as he had previously proposed similar moves in 2017 and 2019.

These measures included organizational, security and administrative matters affecting the structure of the Sadrist movement and its formations, and led to the deportation of prominent figures and leaders, including Ismail al-Lami, known as “Abu Daraa”.

Al-Sadr’s moves and austerity have also intensified since Shiite ruler Kazem al-Hairi announced his resignation from the religious authority in 2022, in an effort to reshuffle the House of Sadrists and restore its ranks, with repeated speeches calling for “building a state of strong institutions, away from chaos and multiple centers of power.”

On May 8, 2026, after Ali al-Zayed was tasked with forming the Iraqi government, Haadr mapped out the terms of the next prime minister, whoever he might be, and called for the reorganization of armed factions into a non-combatant framework, transforming them into formations that carry the Rig’s name. Umrah authorities, or in humanitarian teams that specialize in aid and services.