Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has said that the September 30 deadline for ending the international coalition’s military mission in Iraq and completing the withdrawal of its forces was "final and irreversible".
The remarks on Wednesday came during al-Zaidi's meeting with US Central Command Commander Brad Cooper, the Iraqi prime minister's office wrote on X.
"October 1 would mark a new day in Iraq’s statehood," al-Zaidi highlighted, adding that Iraq "would be free of any foreign military presence."
Iraq needs the efforts of all its people to build a strong economy and a stable state, the premier stressed.
Placing all weapons under exclusive state control is a "key condition for moving Iraq into a new phase of development and prosperity", al-Zaidi said.
"Both sides affirmed their complete and final agreement to end the international coalition's military mission, as agreed upon during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington in mid-July," according to the statement.
Al-Zaidi and Cooper stressed that Iraqi-US ties would shift toward economic and security cooperation based on mutual respect for sovereignty and shared interests, it added.
Iraq’s interior ministry said on Monday it has created an information database to register around 6 million weapons across the country.
The ministry said it also closed 71 fake offices that had claimed links to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-backed umbrella of armed groups.
It did not immediately provide further details on the locations of the closed offices or the mechanism used to collect data on the weapons.
On Friday, Iraqi authorities opened firearms registration and licensing offices across the country as part of a government plan to bring weapons under state control.
The government has sought to consolidate control over weapons and strengthen the authority of state security institutions as part of broader efforts to reinforce domestic stability and shield the country from the effects of regional tensions.
