Iraq’s parliament is advancing a law to permanently institutionalize the Iran-backed PMF as a parallel military structure.
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U.S. ambiguity on the PMF risks Iraqi stability and elections, demanding clearer support for sovereignty.
U.S. sanctions and calls for PMF disarmament challenge Iraqi sovereignty and risk fracturing security cooperation, political bargaining, and economic stability.
The PMF is trading its revolutionary doctrine for a strategy centered on financial power and political protection. By exploiting fears of regional instability, the organization is consolidating control over state resources and patronage networks to prevent its dissolution or military integration.
Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani is navigating a delicate path toward sovereignty by balancing Western energy partnerships with Iranian political influence. As Iraq prepares for the 2026 transition, its future depends on reining in militias and successfully integrating into regional economic networks.
Facing existential threats, the PMF has abandoned its cross-border militant role for the Axis of Resistance. Internally, factions now compete for control of its multi-billion dollar budget, crafting a new narrative as defenders against Sunni jihadism to justify their power
Having secured electoral victories and control over key state institutions, the PMF leverages its formal status to enrich itself and challenge rivals. Its campaign to expel U.S. forces risks an ISIS resurgence and could turn Iraq into an Iranian client state.