A letter published on Iraqi state media, addressed to the head of the PMF, a predominantly Shiite network of around 60 paramilitaries, says that four brigades will fall under the “command and management” of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces– a role Abdul-Mahdi currently occupies as caretaker prime minister – and not under the direct command of the PMF board.
Abdul-Mahdi issued the order on Sunday, but the official letter was only published on Wednesday.
Hashd al-Shaabi has yet to officially comment on the matter.
The four brigades include the 2nd, 11th, 26th, and 44th brigades of the PMF, which are all loyal to Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and not under the influence of Tehran.
The PMF was created in 2014 following a fatwa, or religious call to action, from Sistani, in response to the Islamic State (ISIS) insurgency.
Although the PMF has been brought under the umbrella of the official Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and measures have been taken to fully integrate the units into Iraq’s military apparatus, the PMF continues to act independently.
Several attempts have been made to fully integrate the PMFs into Iraq’s formal security apparatus to professionalize the armed forces, reduce Iran’s influence, and reduce the likelihood of a proxy war between Iran and the US spilling over into Iraqi territory.
Last year, under pressure to curb the independence of Iran-affiliated armed groups in Iraq, Abdul-Mahdi issued a decree ordering the July 31 integration of Hashd al-Shaabi units into the Iraqi army on July 1.
The call for unit integration has been met with both delay and resistance.
Units within Hashd al-Shaabi that have close ties with Tehran have increased their anti-US activity inside Iraq since the US assassinations of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and top PMF leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in early January in Baghdad. Iraqi bases hosting US troops have been frequently targeted by rockets since then, but the attacks have largely halted since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
There are roughly 5,000 US troops stationed in Iraq advising and assisting Iraqi and Kurdish forces as part of the Global Coalition Against Daesh (Islamic State). The US is now reducing its presence at bases across the country, citing the success of local security forces in fighting the terror group.
US-led coalition forces have handed over six bases to Iraqi security forces in the past weeks. Despite the reductions, Iranian officials have warned the US they must “accept the consequences” over their continued presence in Iraq.
Former IRGC commander and a top advisor to the Supreme Leader Yahya Rahim Safavi earlier this month threatened the US over its “illegal presence in Iraq” after Baghdad parliamentarians called for the departure of foreign troops in January.
“If the administration does not abide by international agreements and regulations, they must accept the consequences of their illegal presence and the occupation of Iraqi soil. The legitimate and legal defense of the people, the government and the Iraqi army against the wickedness and the adventures of America is inevitable,” he was quoted by IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News as saying.
Edited by Yasmine Mosimann
