Washington Pressure Deepens Rift Over Fate of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces

Serious divisions have emerged inside the Coordination Framework over a U.S. proposal on the future of the Popular Mobilization Forces, as armed groups reject any move to place weapons under exclusive state control and fold the force into official institutions. The dispute is now raising the stakes for Iraq’s political and security balance. Several armed factions have firmly rejected the proposal and warned that they would withdraw from the Coordination Framework and boycott the political process if it is adopted. Their stance reflects a hardening position among groups that view the Popular Mobilization Forces as a core element of Iraq’s security landscape. Other parties have taken a more flexible approach to disarmament, but are demanding effective positions within state institutions and formal guarantees in return. That split has exposed growing tension over how far Baghdad should go in restructuring armed power. The Iraqi Parliament is expected to hold a critical meeting in the coming days to discuss the U.S. proposal and the weapons file. The session comes as Iraq faces mounting pressure from the United States and regional powers to reorganize its security structure. At the same time, voices are rising inside Iraq arguing that the Popular Mobilization Forces should be preserved as the “weapon of the resistance,” underscoring how deeply the issue has become tied to broader debates over sovereignty, security and political influence.