The Popular Mobilization Forces

Introduction: The Emergence of the Popular Mobilization Forces

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) – known in Arabic as al-Hashd al-Shaʿbī (الحشد الشعبي) — are a coalition of predominantly Shiʿite militias that emerged in 2014 in response to the Islamic State (ISIS)‘s rapid advance across Iraq. When ISIS seized key cities like Mosul and threatened Baghdad, Iraq’s regular armed forces proved incapable of halting the advance on their own. In response, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most respected Shiʿite religious authority, issued a fatwa calling on citizens to take up arms and defend their country. This religious call to action became the driving rallying point for tens of thousands of volunteers, who coalesced into the PMF.

Over the years, the PMF’s nature and purpose have evolved dramatically – from a largely grassroots anti-ISIS mobilization to a deeply institutionalized security actor with a complex relationship with the Iraqi state, regional powers (especially Iran), and internal Iraqi politics.

Organizational Structure and Integration into the Iraqi State

Initially a loose collection of militias, the PMF underwent a formal transformation beginning in 2016, when the Iraqi government recognized it as an official component of Iraq’s security forces. This integration meant that PMF fighters received salaries and benefits comparable to those of regular army personnel, giving the organization a degree of state legitimacy.

Although recognized by the Iraqi state and legally subordinate to the Prime Minister — who acts as commander-in-chief — the PMF operates with considerable autonomy and remains internally decentralized. It encompasses a range of armed groups, each with distinct leadership, ideologies, and loyalties. Estimates from late 2025 suggested the PMF included between 140,000 and 238,000 fighters, organized across 60 to 70 different groups, the majority of which are Shiʿite.

To manage this sprawling force, the PMF has developed an organizational hierarchy that includes a Chairman (appointed by the Iraqi Prime Minister) and a Chief of Staff, supported by directorates responsible for administrative, logistical, legal, media, and operational affairs. Operationally, the PMF is subdivided into regionally based commands, such as Baghdad, Nineveh, Diyala, Anbar, and Kirkuk commands, allowing it to conduct localized security and combat operations.

Military Role: From Counter‑ISIS Operations to Security Missions

The PMF’s original and enduring justification has been combating ISIS. Throughout 2014–2017, units fought alongside Iraqi army divisions and international coalition forces, contributing to campaigns that ultimately retook Mosul and other ISIS-held territories.

But even after ISIS’s territorial defeat, the PMF remained operationally active. In late 2024 and 2025, the PMF continued security operations designed to stabilize regions previously held by ISIS, dismantle remaining explosive devices and weapons caches, and maintain control over strategic areas. For instance:

In late 2024, PMF units conducted extensive security sweeps in the Najaf Desert to eliminate threats and close off infiltration routes.
In mid‑2025, PMF forces were engaged in joint operations with the Iraqi army south of Mosul, combing for remnants of insurgent elements.
Also in 2025, PMF units helped secure agricultural zones in the Kirkuk Governorate during the harvest season, reflecting an effort to bolster local stability.
Within the Salah al-Din Governorate, the PMF continued conducting security sweeps targeting terrorist-related threats.
PMF explosives control units uncovered and safely neutralized war mines left by ISIS in rural areas southwest of Kirkuk.

These operations highlight the dual nature of the PMF: both as an active combat force against extremist remnants and as a localized security partner addressing terrorism, insurgency, and civilian safety challenges.

Political Power and Influence Within Iraq

While the PMF remains a military actor, its influence quickly expanded into Iraq’s political realm. Numerous PMF factions or their affiliated political blocs have entered electoral politics and entrenched themselves within Iraq’s political institutions.

By late 2023 and into 2024, PMF-aligned political actors had achieved significant representation in provincial councils, effectively steering local decision‑making processes and leveraging political power for broader influence. This political integration has allowed PMF leaders to shape national policy debates and secure access to public funding and state resources.

However, this political ascendancy has not been without controversy. Critics argue that the PMF’s hybrid status — both a state institution and a potent militia network — has undermined accountability, weakened state monopoly over violence, and blurred the line between official security forces and paramilitary groups. Domestic protests and opposition movements have, at times, criticized the PMF’s coercive power in domestic politics.

Tensions With the Iraqi Government and Integration Debates

The relationship between the PMF and the Iraqi government remains complex and occasionally contentious. Throughout 2025, Iraqi political leaders sought to assert greater state control over militia forces, including the PMF itself.

In March 2025, a draft law aimed at reforming the PMF to better integrate it into the state security apparatus was introduced in the Iraqi parliament. Key provisions sought to clarify the PMF’s legal status, enforce mandatory retirement ages for senior commanders, and reinforce the authority of the Iraqi Prime Minister over the force. These measures were partially motivated by external pressure, particularly from the United States, aimed at reducing Iranian influence within the PMF.

Throughout mid‑2025, PMF leaders, including Chairman Faleh al‑Fayyadh, actively engaged Iraqi political leadership to advance legislation that would cement the PMF’s legal status while ensuring operational clarity and legitimacy.

Yet this reform process faced resistance from various PMF factions, particularly those with longstanding ties to Iran. Iranian political figures — including senior security officials — engaged in negotiations with Iraqi Shiʿite factions to secure backing for the legislation, underscoring Tehran’s continuing interest in shaping the PMF’s future direction.

Factional Tensions and Internal Discipline

Despite its formal structure, the PMF’s internal unity is fragile. Disparate units with differing ideological influences and operational priorities have occasionally clashed with official directives or engaged in actions beyond state oversight.

In July 2025, fighters linked to the Iran‑aligned Kataib Hezbollah branch of the PMF forcibly entered the office of Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture in Baghdad, protesting the appointment of a new director general. This incident resulted in casualties, including the death of a police officer and civilians, and sharply highlighted ongoing tensions between militia autonomy and Iraqi government authority.

Following an official inquiry, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani ordered the dismissal of several fighters from the affected PMF brigades and vowed accountability measures for breaches of military protocol.

These events underscore both the political leverage some PMF factions still wield and the Iraqi government’s effort to assert control and discipline, a central theme in debates over military integration and reform.

Regional Geopolitics: Iran, the U.S., and Proxy Competition

The PMF’s regional significance extends far beyond Iraq’s borders. Many of the PMF’s most powerful units maintain ideological and logistical ties with Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Although officially subordinate to the Iraqi Prime Minister, such factions often resist full integration and retain external patronage networks, facilitating independent operational agendas.

This relationship has been a focal point of tension between the United States and Iran. The PMF (and Iran‑aligned militias operating within it) have been accused of participating in regional proxy campaigns, including drone and missile attacks on U.S. and allied targets in Iraq and neighboring territories — part of broader Iran‑Israel and U.S.‑Iran proxy dynamics.

The U.S. has responded with punitive measures and political pressure to curb militia autonomy and prevent Iranian regional leverage. These ongoing strategic dilemmas — balancing counterterrorism partnership with concerns about militia autonomy — complicate U.S. military and diplomatic policy in Iraq.

Recent 2026 Developments: Security Challenges and Airstrikes

As of early 2026, the PMF continues to play an active role in Iraq’s security environment, but the organization also faces new pressures.

In February 2026, a series of airstrikes targeted PMF positions in the Jurf al‑Sakhar area south of Baghdad, resulting in casualties among PMF fighters and sparking ongoing investigations. This incident signals heightened regional tensions and underscores how the PMF’s role intersects with broader geopolitical conflict dynamics.

Meanwhile, reports emerged of heightened security tensions in Nineveh province, with claims (denied by regional authorities) of hostilities between Kurdish Peshmerga forces and PMF brigades. These disputed reports reflect underlying friction among Iraq’s security actors and the sensitivity of coordination in diverse regions.

The Future of the PMF: Reform, Integration, and Influence

The trajectory of the PMF in Iraq hinges on pivotal questions of integration, state control, regional influence, and internal cohesion:

Can the Iraqi government fully integrate the PMF into the national security architecture while curbing factional autonomy and external influence?
This challenges longstanding ties between certain PMF factions and external actors like Iran, and remains central to ongoing legislative efforts.
Will the PMF’s political role continue to expand, potentially at the expense of broader democratic and civil governance structures in Iraq?
The PMF’s political footprint suggests its influence goes beyond security, shaping electoral politics and policy debates.
How will regional dynamics – including U.S. pressure, Iranian strategic priorities, and Middle Eastern conflicts – shape the PMF’s operational choices?
The PMF is deeply enmeshed in regional security dynamics, and its future role may be influenced by superpower competition and shifting alliances.