Iraq’s Foreign Ministry ‘surprised’ by US sanctions on PMF leader

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said it was “surprised” by the United States’ decision to sanction the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) authority, Falih al-Fayyadh, and said they will follow up on the matter with Washington. 

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry said the US Treasury decision was “unacceptable,” in statement.

The Treasury on Friday sanctioned senior PMF leader Fayyadh "for his connection to serious human rights abuse."

"Fayyadh was part of a crisis cell comprised primarily of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militia leaders formed in late 2019 to suppress the Iraqi protests with the support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF)," read a statement from the Treasury.

"Iran-aligned elements of the PMF continue to wage an assassination campaign against political activists in Iraq who are calling for free and fair elections, respect for human rights, and clean government,” it added.

Fayyadh is the chairman of the Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC), a board created by the Iraqi government to bring the PMF under central government control. The day the sanctions were announced, he was in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, attending a memorial event marking one year since the US assassination of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and PMF deputy leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

The Iraqi foreign ministry said they "will carefully follow up with the current and new administration in Washington all decisions issued by the US Treasury Department against Iraqi names and work to address the consequences of that."

Other senior members of the PMF, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali, have been subject to similar US sanctions.

The PMF media directorate on Friday congratulated Fayyad on “joining the honorable people whom the US administration considers enemies.” 

The Iraqi government has struggled to bring the powerful PMF under its control. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he supports Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in his “push” against the Iranian-backed militias.