Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi has reaffirmed that no American troops remain in Iraq, not even US military advisers.

Al-Zaidi said on Friday that all the US forces in Iraq, including those who were in military advisory roles, had exited the Arab-Islamic state.

Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency on Friday, Al-Zaidi said the complete exit of the foreign forces after 23 years of military occupation paves the way for the government to “disarm” the resistance groups in Iraq.

Al-Zaidi said the Baghdad government aims to bring all weapons under state control by next June.

“By June 30, 2027, there will be no weapons outside the framework of the state,” Al-Zaidi said.

He claimed that with no foreign troops left in the country, there is no need to own guns, stressing that the government’s decision to limit the possession of weapons to state institutions is final and irreversible.

Al-Zaidi said the government had already reached agreements to disarm three groups, and negotiations were underway with four more to complete the disarmament process.

Iraqi resistance group rejects disarmament, vows never to surrender ‘sacred weapons’

An Iraqi anti-terror resistance group says terms like handover and disarmament regarding the “sacred weapons of the Resistance” have no place in its lexicon.

However, Abdul Qader al-Karbalaei, military deputy of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba movement, an Iraqi resistance group, said on Wednesday that terms such as “disarmament,” “handover,” and “restriction” had no place in the Resistance’s vocabulary.

He said that the group's “sacred weapons of the Resistance” will never be surrendered as the government presses ahead with plans to bring all arms under state control.

Last month, Iraqi legislator Mohammed al-Moussawi rejected the September 30 deadline to restrict all weapons to state control, stating that the arms in possession of Iraqi resistance groups are primarily intended to deter and eliminate terrorist threats and defeat Daesh criminals.

“These weapons serve national and historical functions, including confronting the menace of terrorism, liberating occupied regions, and defending the sovereignty and stability of the country,” Moussawi stated.

The Iraqi legislator emphasized that “resistance weapons” are guarantors of Iraq’s security and safety, and protect the homeland and nation against potential threats as well as destructive and fiendish plots.

“These weapons continue to be aimed at enemies and terrorist groups, and will never target the masses that resistance groups are duty-bound to protect,” Moussawi pointed out.