Nouri Al-Maliki: PMF dissolution talk is rumor, state authority comes first

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Talk of dissolving or merging the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) is “rumor,” and the priority now is consolidating state authority and unifying the security decision, Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, said on Wednesday, placing the PMF at the center of Iraq’s security debate.

In a statement, Al-Maliki described the PMF as a legally established institution, approved by parliament, and a decisive force in the fight against terrorism. “Any restructuring of security institutions must take place strictly within the framework of the constitution and the law and by state decision, not by rumors.” Any development of the PMF, he added, should preserve its strength and reinforce its combat readiness rather than weaken it.

الأولوية اليوم ليست بحل هذا أو دمج ذاك، بل ترسيخ سلطة الدولة، وتوحيد القرار الأمني، والحشد الشعبي جزء من المنظومة الأمنية العراقية تأسس بقانون، ودوره كان حاسماً في مواجهة الإرهاب. وأي تنظيم أو تطوير لعمل المؤسسات الأمنية يتم ضمن رؤية الدولة وبما يحفظ السيادة والاستقرار، بعيداً عن…

— Nouri Al-Maliki (@nourialmalikiiq) February 11, 2026

Earlier today, Al-Maliki said stability requires restricting weapons to state control and maintaining a single army under the commander-in-chief that represents all components of Iraqi society. De-escalation, enforcement of the rule of law, and unified command, he argued, form the foundation of a stable state.

Read more: Iraq’s armed factions, state authority, and the battle over disarmament