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State Department urges Iraqi government to assert command and control over Iran‑aligned groups in Iraq
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Summary
The spokesperson said Iraq’s government should ensure that all security forces, including Iran‑aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), are under Iraqi command and should be held accountable for illegal actions; the department warned such groups destabilize Iraq and said U.S. forces will defend U.S. personnel.
At a State Department briefing, Tammy said the United States continues to urge the government of Iraq to exercise command and control over all security forces within its borders, including Iran‑aligned elements of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
The spokesperson said the PMF must answer to Iraq’s commander in chief and not to outside actors. “These forces must respond to Iraq's Commander In Chief and not to Iran,” she said, adding that the department is concerned about Iran‑aligned groups that “engage in violent and destabilizing activities in Iraq.”
When asked whether the U.S. had requested that Iraq dissolve militia groups, Tammy did not say the department had made that specific request; instead she urged Iraq to “rein in these groups and hold them accountable for breaking Iraqi law.” She added that the president’s highest priority is the safety of U.S. personnel and that the United States will defend itself, its personnel and its interests.
The department did not announce new actions or sanctions in the briefing. The remarks reiterated longstanding U.S. positions about Iraqi sovereignty and accountability for armed groups operating in Iraq.
