Popular Mobilisation Forces

The Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), also known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, are an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of various armed groups, many of which are Shia militias with close ties to Iran. They were initially formed in 2014 to combat ISIS. The PMF is newsworthy due to recent attacks targeting their bases in Iraq, attributed to the US and others, amid escalating tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran. These attacks have resulted in casualties among PMF fighters and Iraqi soldiers. Additionally, some PMF factions are accused of launching cross-border attacks into Gulf nations, leading to condemnation from Arab states and straining Iraq's regional relations. Kataib Hezbollah, a prominent PMF group, has threatened a "total war" if Iran is attacked, highlighting the PMF's potential role in a wider regional conflict. The PMF's actions and the responses to them are significant due to their impact on Iraq's stability, its relations with neighboring countries, and the broader geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East.