Iraq's prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, has set a new deadline of June 30, 2027, for disarming the country's Iran-backed armed factions. He announced the revised framework in an interview with The New York Times on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The plan replaces the September 30 deadline that Baghdad had originally set. Under the new framework, a 90-day phase begins on October 1, during which factions are to refrain from attacks and US forces will not strike them. Weapons handovers would then begin, ending on June 30, 2027.

Al-Zaidi said factions would join the Popular Mobilization Forces as individuals and cease to exist as independent entities. Groups that refuse would be treated as outlaws. The US-led coalition's military mission in Iraq ended on September 30, removing the factions' long-standing justification for keeping weapons.

The factions are pushing back. Kataib Hezbollah has denied any deal, and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq rejected government timetables. Regional diplomats quoted in the press called the timeline extremely precarious.