Iraq will treat any drone operated without official government approval as an act of terrorism, the Ministry of Interior announced this week.
This policy shift signals a tightening of national security as the government attempts to consolidate control over all weaponry and surveillance technology within its borders.
Haider al-Oboudi, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, said that any drone flying without official approvals will be treated as terrorism [1]. The ministry said that drones will be listed under the counter-terrorism law, though a grace period for the registration of weapons has been provided [2].
The directive is part of a broader campaign to restrict and register unlicensed arms. The Ministry of Interior said that more than 500,000 pieces of unlicensed weapons have been registered during this campaign [1].
According to government data, the Iraqi information bank now contains records for six million pieces of weaponry [2]. This effort aims to ensure state control over all arms and drones to prevent unauthorized use across the country.
Officials said the measure is necessary to maintain stability and prevent the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for illicit activities. The government continues to push for the full registration of all private arms to eliminate the presence of unregulated weaponry in civilian areas.
“Any drone flying without official approvals will be treated as terrorism”
By classifying unauthorized drone use as terrorism, the Iraqi government is expanding the legal definition of terror acts to include technology that can be used for both surveillance and attacks. This move, paired with the registration of millions of weapons, reflects a strategic effort to dismantle the infrastructure of non-state armed groups and centralize the monopoly of force under the state.
