Calm Returns to Baghdad after PMF Commander’s Arrest

Iraqi armed forces in Baghdad (Reuters)
Iraqi armed forces in Baghdad (Reuters)
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Calm Returns to Baghdad after PMF Commander’s Arrest

Iraqi armed forces in Baghdad (Reuters)
Iraqi armed forces in Baghdad (Reuters)

Calm returned to Baghdad after a long night of unrest as the Iraqi military leadership closed some of the capital’s entrances and positioned units in the streets near the fortified Green Zone.

On Wednesday, the army deployed units with armored vehicles and tanks, after the arrest of Qasem Muslah, Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) operations chief for Anbar province, which sparked widespread reactions.

Muslah was detained based on a judicial investigation and arrest warrant on terrorism charges, Iraq's military said in a statement.

Shortly after the arrest, a number of armed factions loyal to Iran roamed the streets of Baghdad in a failed show of force and to pressure the authorities to release Muslah.

Many protesters welcomed the arrest, given that Muslah was accused of being involved in the assassination of activists in Karbala. He is also accused of missile attacks on Ain al-Asad military base in Anbar.

Muslah has been a controversial figure, especially in Karbala. He was an associate of religious authority, Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai, and after 2003, he was in charge of the security of the city’s religious shrines.

He was then sacked over accusations of corruption and abuse. He joined the PMF after 2014 and assumed the leadership of the group’s operations in Anbar.

During the cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi described the show of force as a “serious violation of the constitution.”

Former PM Haider al-Abadi warned against such practices, saying that either the state moves to impose order and sovereignty, or it crumbles.

Abadi rejected in a tweet all forms of transgression, bullying, and rebellion, warning that sedition and chaos are disastrous. He stressed that “no one is above the law and accountability.”

Leader of the Iraqis coalition Ammar al-Hakim stressed in reference to Muslah’s arrest that the judicial orders apply to everyone.

Hakim tweeted that “all Iraqis are equal in terms of legal accountability, and the decisions of state institutions must be respected.”

Later Wednesday, the PMF leadership directed its units at the Green Zone to withdraw.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Special Representative for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said that any arrest case should run its course, as goes for any Iraqi, adding that nobody should resort to a show of force to get their way.

"Such behavior weakens the Iraqi state and further erodes public trust. State institutions must be respected at all times. Nobody is above the law," she said on Twitter.

The UK Embassy in Baghdad announced its full support for the government's investigation into the actions of armed groups.

“Iraqis have called for a state where those who break the law are held to account. No one should use force and threats to impede criminal investigations. Democracy rests on respect for the rule of law,” announced the embassy in a tweet.

On Thursday, the US National Security Council expressed unwavering support for Kadhimi.

The council tweeted: “We strongly support PM Kadhimi & Govt of Iraq’s commitment to uphold rule of law & pave the way for free & fair elections. Anyone who targets Iraqi citizens must be investigated pursuant to Iraqi laws. We condemn those who seek to undermine Iraq’s stability with acts of violence.”



Lebanese Army Warns Israeli Airstrikes Might Force it to Freeze Cooperation with Ceasefire Committee

The rubble of a collapsed building is pictured through a broken window at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Kafaat neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on June 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
The rubble of a collapsed building is pictured through a broken window at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Kafaat neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on June 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Lebanese Army Warns Israeli Airstrikes Might Force it to Freeze Cooperation with Ceasefire Committee

The rubble of a collapsed building is pictured through a broken window at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Kafaat neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on June 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
The rubble of a collapsed building is pictured through a broken window at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Kafaat neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on June 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

The Lebanese army condemned Friday Israel’s airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, warning that it might eventually suspend cooperation with the committee monitoring the truce that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war.

The army statement came hours after the Israeli military struck several buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs that it said held underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone production. The strikes, preceded by an Israeli warning to evacuate several buildings, came on the eve of Eid al-Adha.

The Lebanese army said it started coordinating with the committee observing the ceasefire after Israel’s military issued its warning and sent patrols to the areas that were to be struck to search them. It added that Israel rejected the suggestion.

The US-led committee that has been supervising the ceasefire that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war in November is made up of Lebanon, Israel, France, the US and the UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon known as UNIFIL.

“The Israeli enemy violations of the deal and its refusal to respond to the committee is weakening the role of the committee and the military,” the Lebanese army said in its statement. It added such attacks by Israel could lead the army to freeze its cooperation with the committee “when it comes to searching posts.”

Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended, Israel has carried out nearly daily airstrikes on parts of Lebanon targeting Hezbollah operatives. Beirut’s southern suburbs were struck on several occasions since then.

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Friday that Israel will keep striking Lebanon until it disarms Hezbollah.

"There will be no calm in Beirut, and no order or stability in Lebanon, without security for the State of Israel. Agreements must be honored and if you do not do what is required, we will continue to act, and with great force," Katz said in a statement.