Among the many "blessings" Iran has bestowed on Iraq is the empowerment of armed "loyalist" militias in the Land of the Two Rivers, along with the "invention" of what is known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Over time, this entity has steadily encroached on the state and come to dominate it, while politicians have been effectively coerced into incorporating these militias- whose loyalty lies with Iran before Iraq- into the very structure of the state.
These militias have never concealed their full alignment with Iran’s revolutionary regime. Some, such as the Badr Organization, were in fact born, raised, and shaped within the cradle of the Revolutionary Guard Corps as far back as the early 1980s.
Today, these militias are no longer merely a scourge for ordinary Iraqis, obstructing the emergence of a genuine state, entrenching sectarian strife, and driving financial and administrative corruption, they have also become a direct source of external danger to Iraq.
One manifestation of the ongoing conflict- on, from, and within Iran- is the activation of PMF factions as part of Iran’s operational strategy against Iraq’s neighbors. Most recently, Jordanian government spokesperson and minister Mohammad Momani revealed that Iran-aligned militias are using Iraqi territory to launch attacks against Jordan and other neighboring states.
The Iraqi government- at best - appears overpowered, much like its Lebanese counterpart.
What, then, are we to make of statements by Iraqi officials such as Hussein Allawi, adviser to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, who said in an interview with Al-Arabiya that they are “committed to not allowing any armed group to target countries in the region”? Yet rockets and drones continue to be launched from Iraqi soil toward Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and beyond.
A collective position is gradually taking shape among Iraq’s Arab neighbors in response to this hostile reality. This is reflected in the joint statement issued by six countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, calling on Iraq to halt this aggression “immediately, in order to preserve fraternal relations and avoid further escalation.”
It is well known that there are Iraqi groups and leaders whose allegiance, in both practice and inclination, lies with Iran.
Peace be upon Iraq.
