Iraqi Government Advances Controversial PMF Law Amid US Withdrawal Concerns

Iraq has approved a controversial law regarding the Popular Mobilisation Forces and referred it to parliament for voting as US forces concluded their mission in the country. The PMF, also known as Hashd Al Shaabi, is an umbrella organisation of mostly Shiite paramilitary groups integrated into state security, with several factions backed by Iran. The groups were formed during Iraq's war against ISIS.

“The cabinet voted in favour of the Popular Mobilisation Forces bill. It approved referring the bill to parliament for a vote, in accordance with constitutional provisions,” Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi’s office said. If passed, the legislation would further legitimise the PMF as a permanent national security institution by providing benefits that position them on equal footing with other state military institutions.

The current draft was approved by the government of former prime minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in February 2025. It was previously stalled due to disputes over retirement provisions and US opposition. Washington argues that the bill undermines Iraq’s sovereignty and entrenches Iranian influence over politics and security.

The legislation is expected to elevate the PMF, established in 2014 to help fight ISIS, to a status on par with the rest of the Iraqi military. While some Shiite militias backed by Iran have joined its ranks, many factions have faced accusations of human rights abuses against civilians, which both the government and the PMF have acknowledged as “individual acts.”

Washington has long criticised the PMF, accusing certain factions of operating outside state control and targeting American interests in Iraq and Syria. The US previously blacklisted senior PMF leaders between 2019 and 2021 to increase pressure on Iranian groups in Iraq, including PMF chairman Faleh Al Fayyadh under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

An Iraqi official told The National that “the law will give the PMF a permanent, legally protected status as a parallel armed institution inside the Iraqi state.” The official added, “This is a dangerous move; it would further tighten Iran's grip on Iraq.”

This political development coincides with the formal end of the US military mission to Iraq, concluding 23 years of various forms of American presence. The PMF was originally formed in 2014 following the territorial gains of ISIS in northern and western Iraq, which led to the collapse of Iraqi forces and a call to arms by Shiite cleric Ali Al Sistani.

To address domestic and international concerns, the Iraqi parliament passed a law in 2016 to regulate the PMF and bring it under the control of the prime minister, who serves as the commander-in-chief of the national armed forces. However, the initial legislation contained minimal detail regarding the force’s terms of employment and administrative structure.