ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi Council of Ministers approved the contentious Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) draft law - stalled since early 2025 - and submitted it to the parliament, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office said late Tuesday. A law to legalize the force was first enacted in 2016. However, the legislation only comprised three provisions that aimed to recognize the PMF as a legal military entity. It left crucial operational and structural details unaddressed and created lasting ambiguity over the force's integration into Iraq's broader security apparatus. The bill was approved and referred “as part of the government's commitment to organizing the administrative framework of security institutions, and in recognition of the sacrifices made” by the PMF, the statement read. The move comes as tomorrow marks the departure of the US and its led Global Coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) from the country. Baghdad sent the bill to the Iraqi parliament in early 2025 to address the gaps, but it was shelved for reorganization due to intra-Shiite disagreements - particularly on setting the retirement age at 60 which would have left many veteran PMF leaders retired - as well as fierce opposition from the US over Iranian influence concerns. Subsequent efforts included empowering the force similar to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, granting it unfettered authority to function as a parallel force to the Iraqi army. The efforts encompassed establishing a distinct military academy, independent staff command, and economic independence. Zaidi sent the draft back to the parliament in August. It covered the service, retirement, and organizational structure of the force. But it was withdrawn amid his efforts to restrict weapons under state authority - a campaign whose deadline was initially set at September 30 but was recently pushed. Founded in 2014, the PMF consists of around 70 predominantly Shiite armed groups, with some of them having direct ties to Iran. The armed factions under the Iran-backed “Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI)” overlap with the force. While Washington has already designated and sanctioned many of its constituting factions, it has not listed the PMF as a terrorist group. The Iraqi premier has already announced plans to integrate IRI’s members individually into the PMF. However, it has repeatedly warned Baghdad against Iranian interference and militia activity. During the US-Israeli war against Iran earlier this year, US airstrikes killed 80 PMF members across several Iraqi provinces, as IRI claimed more than 700 attacks on its assets inside and outside Iraq.
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