Iran's PMF stance risks future Iraq clashes, Ex-diplomat
Iran's rejection of dismantling the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) could lead to future armed confrontations between Iraqi security forces and pro-Iran factions, former Iraqi diplomat Ghazi Faisal warned on Sunday.
Faisal told Shafaq News that Iran's open stance is not merely a political statement, but a strategic signal with security, military, regional, and international implications, 'which places significant constraints on any Iraqi government seeking to curb factional influence, especially at a time when Baghdad is under US, European, and regional pressure to integrate or regulate the PMF.'
'Iran's refusal to dismantle factions aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sends a message that these groups will remain militarily active, both inside Iraq and on regional fronts such as Syria, serving as an armed tool in Tehran's bid to expand its military and economic influence across the Middle East.'
According to Faisal, domestic pressure from Iran-backed factions complicates any security reform plan, deepening political divisions between anti-faction forces — who will use Tehran's stance to argue that Iraq's security decisions are subject to foreign will — and pro-Iran groups, who will leverage the position to reinforce their 'resistance narrative.'
Earlier today, Ali Akbar Velayati, Adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, revealed details of a recent phone call with Nouri al-Maliki, Head of the State of Law Coalition, focused on concerns that the disarmament file could shift from Lebanon's Hezbollah to Iraq's PMF.
The Popular Mobilization Forces were established in 2014 after the fall of Mosul, following a religious edict by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani calling for volunteers to fight ISIS. In 2016, Iraq's parliament passed a law formally recognizing the PMF as part of the state's security apparatus, but without fully integrating its command structure or regulating its internal operations.
A new draft PMF Authority Law, now before parliament, seeks to address those gaps by introducing formal military ranks, defined administrative ties to the Ministries of Defense and Finance, internal oversight mechanisms, and eligibility rules for leadership. Supporters argue it will standardize and professionalize the force, while critics — including the US — warn it would entrench the autonomy of powerful Iran-aligned groups.
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