Muqtada al-Sadr Orders Saraya al-Salam’s Integration Into Iraqi State
Influential Shiite cleric urges armed factions to disband partisan ties and hand weapons to state authority amid renewed debate over Iraq’s armed groups
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced on Wednesday the complete separation of Saraya al-Salam from the National Shiite Movement, ordering its full integration into state military structures and calling for an end to partisan affiliation of armed groups.
In a statement framed around what he described as “public interest” and the need to avoid “looming dangers” facing the country, al-Sadr said the decision aims to place all military formations under official state authority.
He declared that Saraya al-Salam units would no longer operate under any independent or political structure, instead becoming part of Iraq’s formal security system.
Al-Sadr also called for affiliated civilian entities to be reorganized under a new framework named “Al-Bunyan al-Marsous” (The Solid Edifice), specifying that these groups should operate without headquarters, weapons, uniforms, or official titles.
Thanking Saraya al-Salam members for their service, he praised what he described as their “greater and lesser jihad,” while also calling for unity under state institutions and urging forgiveness for those who did not align with his religious, ideological, or social views.
The cleric further appealed for all factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to detach from political and sectarian influence and fully hand over their weapons to the state, reiterating a position he has previously advanced in past political crises.
Saraya al-Salam was formed as an armed wing aligned with al-Sadr’s movement and played a prominent role in Iraq’s fight against the Islamic State group after 2014, before gradually shifting amid evolving political arrangements in Baghdad.
The announcement comes at a sensitive moment in Iraq, where debates continue over the future of non-state armed groups, and efforts to consolidate weapons under central government control remain a key political issue.
Al-Sadr concluded his statement by reaffirming his call for unity and state authority over all military formations, ending with the phrase: “Peace be the conclusion.”
The announcement also comes amid continuing US pressure on Baghdad to curb the influence of Iran-backed armed factions operating inside Iraq. Washington has repeatedly urged the Iraqi government to place all weapons under state control and dismantle militia structures accused of targeting American interests and undermining Iraqi sovereignty.
In recent months, tensions escalated further following attacks by Iran-aligned groups on US facilities in Iraq, prompting renewed American calls for the disarmament and integration of armed factions into official state institutions.