Latest news with #PopularMobilizationForces
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Baghdad demands PMF-Erbil drone evidence from Iraqi Kurdistan
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraq's military command rejected, on Saturday, accusations by the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Interior, which had blamed an Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) faction for a drone strike near Erbil. Sabah Al-Numan, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, dismissed the allegations as 'unacceptable' and 'baseless,' urging the Kurdistan Region to submit 'any evidence' through official channels. He warned that the federal government would respond decisively to any threat against Iraq's security. Al-Numan also stressed that Iraq's current challenges demand cooperation through institutional channels rather than media statements, arguing that 'public accusations only give malicious actors room to undermine security forces and destabilize the country.' His comments followed a statement from the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Interior, which denied claims that an Israeli facility was targeted in Erbil. The ministry clarified there are no Israeli bases or installations in the Region, explaining that an explosives-laden drone had crashed in a desert area near Erbil without causing casualties or damage.
Shafaq News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Foreign warnings urge Iraqis to avoid escalation against US-Led Coalition
Shafaq News – Baghdad Several Iraqi politicians have received warning messages from international sources urging them not to support or facilitate attacks against the US-led Global Coalition forces, a security expert told Shafaq News on Thursday. Saif Raad, a security and strategic affairs analyst, said that beginning last Saturday, a select group of Iraqi political figures received text messages on their personal phones warning of serious consequences if any attacks were carried out against coalition troops operating in Iraq. According to Raad, the messages included statements such as: 'Warning to Iranian militias. Any attacks on coalition forces will be met with a swift and decisive response,' and 'Iranian militias continue to endanger Iraqis… do not become puppets in Iran's hands.' He added that the texts were followed by voice calls repeating similar warnings. The term 'Iranian militias' commonly refers to Iraqi armed factions aligned with or backed by Iran, many of which are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella organization officially affiliated with the Iraqi state but composed of various groups with differing loyalties. Iraqi authorities have yet to issue any official response to the reported messages. These developments follow a wave of simultaneous drone attacks across multiple areas in Iraq — including Kirkuk, Baiji, Duhok, and al-Sulaymaniyah — as regional tensions intensified after a 12-day escalation between Iran and Israel. While no direct attacks were recorded on US military installations in Iraq during that period, US forces intercepted drones targeting the Ain al-Asad Air Base in al-Anbar Province. Despite their vocal support for Iran during the recent conflict, Iran-aligned Iraqi groups did not escalate their military posture significantly, maintaining a relatively restrained stance amid the regional standoff.
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
US renews call Baghdad to ‘rein in' pro-Iran militia groups
Also in World 7 Kurds held in Libya after failed attempt to reach Europe US presses urgent restart of Kurdish oil exports, slams stalemate as 'unacceptable' Trump moves to lift broad sanctions on Syria: White House spox. Three Gorges Dam powers China's growth amid displacement, environmental concerns A+ A- WASHINGTON DC - The United States continues to call on the Iraqi government to bring pro-Iran militia groups, designated as terrorist organizations by Washington, under its control, a senior American official said on Wednesday. The US has 'expressed deep concerns on terrorist-designated Iran-backed militia groups who threaten Americans and Iraqi stability. We continue to urge the Iraqi government to rein in these groups and hold them accountable for breaking Iraqi law,' Andy Halus, Public Diplomacy Counselor at the US embassy in Baghdad, told Rudaw in response to a question about reports suggesting that the US is pressuring Iraq to withhold the salaries of the pro-Iran groups within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi). Several Iraqi pro-Iran militia groups warned last month that should the US support Israel in its then-escalating conflict with Iran or assassinate the Iranian supreme leader, American interests in the region would be targeted. While the US supported Israel, the groups did not openly carry out any attacks on American interests. The US brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel after 12 days of a deadly war. Despite the truce, several drone attacks have been reported in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region in the last week. No party has claimed responsibility for the attacks which have targeted civilian and military locations. The PMF was established in 2014 during the Islamic State group (ISIS) blitz, which saw the group seize control of large parts of Iraq's north and west. Created in response to a fatwa, a religious edict, by Iraq's highest Shiite authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the PMF was initially an umbrella organization of roughly 70 predominantly Shiite armed groups, with approximately 250,000 members.
Shafaq News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
MP: Political divisions freeze Iraqi Parliament
Shafaq News – Baghdad Rifts among Iraq's ruling coalition have paralyzed parliamentary activity and derailed votes on major legislation, a lawmaker revealed on Tuesday. Mukhtar al-Moussawi, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told Shafaq News Agency that ongoing disputes between the blocs forming the government have reduced Parliament to little more than attendance. 'There's no consensus—sessions may be held, but without real outcomes,' he remarked. The deadlock has already obstructed key legislation, including the Federal Budget Law and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Law, he added, warning that continued disagreement could prevent sessions from taking place altogether. Al-Moussawi also criticized the government's role in deepening the impasse, describing an atmosphere where election campaigning has crossed legal boundaries. 'Political money is flooding the scene while Parliament remains idle—and ultimately, it's the Iraqi people who pay the price,' he added. With fewer than a week remaining before the end of Iraq's parliamentary recess, the stalemate has drawn growing concern. Several lawmakers have confirmed behind-the-scenes pressure from party leaders to delay sessions and block sensitive legislation, allegedly aiming to shield the government and some factions from controversy ahead of the November 11 elections.
Shafaq News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq mourns PMF, Hezbollah commanders killed in Tehran
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) held a funeral procession in central Baghdad for Haider al-Moussawi, a commander in the Iraqi Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Hussein Khalil, the former personal aide to Lebanon's Hezbollah's former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. The procession took place on Palestine Street and drew participation from PMF leaders, clerics, and political figures, alongside a significant public turnout. On Saturday, Iranian and Israeli media reported that both men were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The reports indicated the strike targeted Khalil, also known as Abu Ali, along with al-Moussawi, while they were in the Iranian capital.
