Iraq delays vote on PMF law amendments amid US opposition and internal Shiite divisions

Shafaq News

2 days ago

Shafaq News – Baghdad/ Washington
Efforts to pass new amendments to Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Authority Law have stalled due to deep political divisions and explicit opposition from the United States, raising expectations that the legislation will be postponed until the next parliamentary term.
A political source told Shafaq News that the revised law, initially slated for a vote during the current legislative cycle, will be delayed amid unresolved disagreements within the Shiite bloc over the force's future role and command structure.
'The current draft seeks to formally integrate the PMF into Iraq's armed forces under a hierarchical military leadership,' the source explained. 'However, influential factions within the PMF oppose this model. Without political consensus, the law is likely to be deferred or negotiated through political trade-offs in the future.'
The delay follows recent remarks by Parliamentary Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who confirmed that the United States has clearly expressed its rejection of the bill in its present form.
Political sources also told Shafaq News that Washington is applying diplomatic pressure to block the legislation, fearing it would solidify the PMF's autonomy from the Iraqi army and confer legal legitimacy on factions the US designates as terrorist groups.
This aligns with a statement released by the US State Department following a recent phone call between Secretary Marco Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. In the statement, Washington voiced 'serious concern' about the draft law, warning that such legislation would 'entrench Iranian influence and armed militias, undermining Iraq's sovereignty.'
The controversy unfolds nearly nine years after Iraq's parliament first passed the original PMF law in November 2016 in response to the Islamic State's takeover of Mosul and large swaths of the country. That law, however, lacked structural detail, prompting some political factions to push for a comprehensive overhaul defining the PMF's place within Iraq's security apparatus.
The PMF was established in mid-2014 by government decree following a fatwa by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urging volunteers to defend Iraq. Thousands of fighters from pre-existing Shiite armed groups joined under the PMF umbrella.