PMF bills near Parliament after US-opposed provisions removed
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Two draft laws concerning Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-linked paramilitary umbrella, are nearing referral to parliament after provisions that drew US objections were removed, an informed source told Shafaq News on Sunday.
The drafts cover the PMF Restructuring bill, which regulates the force’s legal status, and the PMF Service and Retirement bill. The source said disputed provisions were removed from the Service and Retirement bill, while clauses concerning the Staff College and Al-Muhandis General Company were dropped from the Restructuring bill.
Both would proceed through first and second readings before a parliamentary vote, with passage dependent on political consensus.
The US Treasury sanctioned Al-Muhandis General Company in October 2025 over alleged links to the financing of armed factions and economic activities connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a decision Baghdad rejected.
Issues involving PMF military education, including officer training, admission requirements, and access to the Joint Staff College, remain governed by the Authority’s administrative and legal procedures.
Read more: Iraq's PMF Service and Retirement Law: Is political exploitation inevitable?
