Iraq’s Iran-backed PMF militia fears terrorist label by the US

Leaders of Iraq’s Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fear the US may designate their group as a terrorist organization, following Washington’s reclassification of Yemen’s Houthi militia, a Kuwaiti daily reported Wednesday.

Fear over a potential designation prompted emergency meetings among Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani and PMF leaders, Al Seyassah reported.

A senior Iraqi official was quoted as saying that Washington’s decision is driven by Iraq’s refusal to dissolve the PMF and the group's close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The State Department announced Tuesday that it is officially implementing its decision to designate the Iran-backed Houthi movement as a terrorist organization, setting in motion President Donald Trump's push earlier this year, to do so.

State Secretary Marco Rubio cited the Houthis' attacks on Red Sea shipping and threats to US and allied security as justification for the designation.

Since October 7, the Houthis have launched near-daily drone and missile attacks on Israel and targeted shipping, claiming it as an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), encompassing factions such as Kata'ib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, have actively engaged in operations against US forces in Iraq and Syria, aligning with Iran's regional strategy.

Following a drone attack in January last year at a US outpost in Jordan—known as Tower 22—that resulted in the deaths of three US soldiers and injuries to 47 others, the US conducted retaliatory airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq and Syria.

Subsequently, Kata'ib Hezbollah announced a suspension of its military operations against US forces to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government, which had called for de-escalation.