A senior Iranian commander, Esmail Qaani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, reportedly made an unannounced visit to Baghdad earlier this week to discuss the Iraqi government's plan to disarm armed groups and place all weapons under state control.
According to an Iraqi source who spoke to Al Jazeera anonymously, Qaani held meetings with Iraqi political and security officials as well as commanders of powerful Shia armed groups. The source said Iran's message was that the groups should not hand over their weapons for now, while urging a political compromise rather than confrontation between the government and armed factions.
The Iraqi government is pushing for a state monopoly on weapons, with a September 30 deadline approaching. Some armed groups have reportedly agreed to integrate into Iraq's official security forces, but powerful factions such as Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba remain opposed to giving up their weapons.
The issue is particularly sensitive because of Iraq's relationship with Iran and concerns that armed groups could use Iraqi territory to launch attacks against neighbouring countries. Iraqi political leaders are therefore seeking a solution that avoids an armed confrontation while bringing weapons under government control.