US Envoy to Baghdad: Iraq’s security reforms remain incomplete
Shafaq News – Washington / Baghdad
While Iraq has made "real progress" in countering ISIS and limiting external interference, the United States warned on Tuesday that the country’s security sector reforms remain incomplete.
In a post on X, US Special Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Iraq’s "legitimate security institutions." American support, he noted, has included billions of dollars in advanced equipment and training, though essential reforms remain necessary.
The United States has long supported Iraq’s legitimate security institutions. From joint efforts to defeat ISIS to countering malign influence and strengthening regional stability, real progress has been made. Still, essential reforms are needed. American companies, which…
— Mark Savaya (@Mark_Savaya) November 25, 2025
US government data indicates that Washington provided Iraq with more than $13.8 billion in military aid between 2015 and 2023. This package included aircraft, armored vehicles, surveillance systems, and specialized counterterrorism training designed to professionalize the Iraqi military.
Alongside Iraq's army, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)—a coalition of Iran-aligned armed groups formed in 2014 to fight ISIS—operate as an official branch of the security apparatus but frequently face accusations of acting independently of the central government.
While the PMF is recognized as an official security apparatus, Savaya’s comments follow long-standing US demands that all armed units answer directly to the Prime Minister as Commander-in-Chief to prevent groups operating outside the state’s official chain of command from undermining state sovereignty.
Read more: Iraq's new political equation: Armed groups' gains put pressure on US
