A proposed law that would further legitimise Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces as a permanent national security institution raises concerns over the country's democratic future and state sovereignty, experts and officials told The National.
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.
Changes to the PMF legislation would effectively institutionalise a parallel security apparatus with a multi-billion-dollar annual budget while leaving its leadership structure largely unchanged, said Michael Knights, head of research at Horizon Engage, a New York-based strategic advisory firm.
“This poses significant risks given that some PMF factions are led by figures designated as terrorists by the US,” Mr Knights told The National.
“It's not that the PMF law changes a lot – instead it freezes things and makes positive change less likely,” he said.
Mr Knights said the proposed law would not make any meaningful change within the PMF but would instead lock in the status quo and make future reform less probable.
“It is serious enough that the US threatened to tank the Iraqi economy last time the law was nearly passed,” he said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi is under pressure from the US to disarm the militias by September 30. It's the same date given to US troops to leave the country in a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington.
During the last few weeks, there has been an increase in tension and an escalation of threats between the government and Iran-backed militias over disarmament.
The move might be difficult to make. The militias, with Iranian financial and military support, have become formidable forces that can rival the national army in firepower. They are also deeply enmeshed in Iraq's political, economic and social fabric, building business networks and winning seats in parliament and the government.
They call themselves the Resistance and are a key pillar of Iran's network of regional proxy forces. They have claimed responsibility for dozens of missile and drone attacks on Israel and US forces in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war began in 2023.
'Dangerous move'
An Iraqi official told The National that the existing law governing the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) provides the force with a legal framework but leaves key issues concerning personnel and its administrative structure unresolved.
“This is why there is a push for the service and retirement legislation; it has been postponed by former governments. The law will give the PMF a permanent, legally protected status as a parallel armed institution inside the Iraqi state,” said the official.
“This is a dangerous move; it would further tighten Iran's grip on Iraq,” he said.
The current draft was approved by the government of former prime minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in February 2025 and referred to parliament.
It was stalled due to disputes over retirement provisions and “Washington's disapproval”, said the official.
The renewed push for the legislation comes as several senior Iranian officials visited Baghdad last week. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian parliament, was in the Iraqi capital for a three-day official visit that began on Wednesday.
PMF chairman Falah Al Fayyadh said on Thursday that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi was expected to submit the PMF law to parliament “soon, following the completion of certain amendments,” the state-run Iraqi News Agency reported.
“The [new] PMF law covering service, retirement, and organisational structure will be submitted within the next two weeks,” he said.
Mr Al Fayyadh said that “the process of [political] disengagement from the PMF, must proceed according to well-studied plans and a safe transition that guarantees the stability of the institution.”
