Disbanding the Popular Mobilization Forces is an American illusion; the Iraqi stronghold will remain intact.

According to Ashura News, citing Mehr News Agency, the first bill to legalize the Popular Mobilization Forces was approved by the Iraqi Parliament in 2016. This bill was limited to approving the nature of this force in the form of three clauses and was in no way sufficient to establish the full existence of the Popular Mobilization Forces as an official and legal institution in the country's military structure.

In the years that followed, pressure from the US Embassy and some foreign institutions to disband this force increased. Resistance from the Iraqi government, political groups, and a significant portion of the public who wanted this force to remain as an independent institution led to the process of drafting a comprehensive law for the Popular Mobilization Forces beginning in 2019.

Numerous drafts were submitted to the Parliament over the years. The latest and most comprehensive bill was drafted and submitted to the Parliament in 2024. The bill in question has been read twice so far and is expected to be finally approved soon, after the third reading.

According to the provisions of the bill, the Popular Mobilization Forces will operate as an independent and parallel institution to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense, so that no foreign country can interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs or demand its dissolution. The law contains 18 articles and aims to formalize the structure of the Popular Mobilization Forces with more than 200,000 troops, under the direct command of the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Forces.

According to the law, the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces will have a position equivalent to that of a minister or at a similar level and will attend all meetings of the Supreme National Security Council of Iraq. Also, the high-ranking commanders of this force will be defined in the military rank of “Lieutenant General”, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Popular Mobilization Forces will also be known as a Lieutenant General.

A military academy and officer school will also be established for the Popular Mobilization Forces, which will train officers and award bachelor’s degrees at a level equal to the military academies in the Ministries of Interior and Defense.

On Thursday, April 11, Faleh al-Fayyadh, head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, proposed a new law on the Popular Mobilization Forces, which will soon be voted on in the Iraqi parliament. According to Faleh al-Fayyadh, the law in question, called the “Popular Mobilization Forces Council,” will not eliminate the Popular Mobilization Forces, but rather consolidate them and recognize them in the Iraqi military structure. This approach is also consistent with the role of mobilizing popular forces in the fight against ISIS and maintaining Iraqi security.

The Popular Mobilization Forces, with the support of the people and political and religious leaders, complement the Iraqi army. According to the new law, the group is still headed by the Iraqi prime minister. The organization plays its military role in coordination with the army, but enjoys relative independence.

The new Popular Mobilization Forces law also resolves critical issues for the group, such as insurance and pensions, and establishes the organization as part of Iraq’s defense and security structure under the supervision of the prime minister.

While rumors about the dissolution of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) quickly spread in cyberspace and some media outlets, the statements of the PMF leader did not mention the organization's dissolution or collapse. Rather, he referred to the service and retirement law, which the leaders of the organization were insistently pursuing with the implementation of some reforms, and said that it was on the verge of being approved.

Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, the representative of the Secretary General of the Iraqi Noble Movement in Iran, said about the approval of the new PMF law: PMF forces have been and are an inseparable part of the Iraqi armed forces. PMF is the main supporter of the axis of resistance, and with the approval of the "PMF Board" law, its approach towards the axis of resistance has not changed and will not change.

He added: PMF has been an official and independent institution under the supervision of the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces since its establishment. With the approval of the new law, this group will continue to enjoy relative independence and will continue to be governed under the supervision of the Iraqi Prime Minister, not the army.

The representative of the Secretary General of the Iraqi Noble Movement in Iran, regarding the denial of the rumor of the dissolution of the Popular Mobilization Forces, added: The news of the dissolution of the Popular Mobilization Forces is false and untrue. The Popular Mobilization Forces, with their own institution and system, are part of the Iraqi armed forces. In fact, the Popular Mobilization Forces, with their experience and presence in the field, have proven that they are the strongest military and security force that can stand against America and its minions, such as ISIS.

According to Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, the Popular Mobilization Forces thwarted America’s grand plan in Iraq in 2017. The soil of Iraq was cleansed of the taint of the American terrorist organization ISIS through the efforts of the fighters of this group. The Popular Mobilization Forces, which were formed by motivated Iraqi youth, have become a strong fortress for the Iraqi people, and for this reason, the United States is putting a lot of pressure on the Iraqi government to marginalize this group. The United States is spreading rumors of the dissolution of the Popular Mobilization Forces through its minions in order to achieve its failed goals.

He concluded by emphasizing: "We have repeatedly said, based on our legal responsibility and duty, that the institution that was formed by the fatwa of Jihad Kifa'i, the authority, has never been and will never be dissolved. The dissolution of the Popular Mobilization Forces is the product of the imagination and delusion of the American enemy and its evil followers."