Iraq seeks Iranian assistance to curb militias' reign
Iraq's prime minister made a surprise visit to Tehran to request Iranian help in controlling Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi made a surprise six-hour visit to Tehran late Monday. He was accompanied by a high-ranking Iraqi delegation including Falih al-Fayyadh, the head of the Popular Mobilization Units, or PMU.
Abdul Mahdi met with President Hassan Rouhani and discussed the PMU dossier and the impact of Iran-US tensions on Iraq. Rouhani reassured Abdul Mahdi that Iraq would be kept at a distance from the current tension. He further stated that Iran would assist Iraq in bringing all PMU factions under state control.
Abdul Mahdi issued a decree last month ordering all PMU factions to merge with state forces and come fully under his command as chief of the armed forces.
"All PMU personnel will be integrated into the police and army ranks according to Iraqi military regulations," stated the decree. Abdul Mahdi gave the PMU until July 31 to either abide by the decree or become a political party or civil organization and hand over all weapons to the government.
