It possess long-range missiles and air defense systems. The Telegraph reports that some members of Iraqi factions were inside Iran during the recent war to support official forces and impose control over the streets - 8/03/2026

[ronscarpa]

 

They possesses long-range missiles and air defense

systems. The Telegraph reports that some members of

Iraqi factions were inside Iran during the recent war to

support official forces and impose control over the streets

 

 

 

latest news

Monday,

August 3, 2026

 

 

 

They possess long-range missiles and air defense systems. The Telegraph reports that some members of Iraqi factions were inside Iran during the recent war to support official forces and impose control over the streets

 

Baghdad - One News - 8/03/2026

 

The British newspaper The Telegraph said that Iraqi armed factions loyal to Iran have become one of the most prominent tools of Iranian influence in the region, warning of their ability to drag the United States and Arab countries into a longer and more costly conflict, in light of the escalating regional confrontation and the widening scope of tension.

 

The newspaper stated that these factions returned to the forefront of events following the recent attacks on American sites in Jordan, and the subsequent American-Saudi strikes that targeted bases of pro-Iranian factions inside Iraq, stressing that these developments revealed once again the extent of the role played by these groups in Tehran’s regional strategy.

 

She added that the roots of these factions go back to the period after the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, when Iran began to expand its influence within Iraqi political and security institutions, before the Popular Mobilization Forces were officially established in June 2014, following a fatwa by the supreme religious authority, Ali al-Sistani, which called on Iraqis to take up arms to confront ISIS.

 

The newspaper noted that tens of thousands of volunteers joined the fighting fronts at that time, before the Iraqi parliament later approved the integration of the Popular Mobilization Forces into state institutions as an official military body, funded from the general budget and legally subject to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

 

According to the report, the Popular Mobilization Forces do not represent a unified entity, but rather include dozens of factions with different orientations and loyalties, and the number of its members is estimated to be between 110,000 and 130,000 fighters distributed among about 68 factions.

 

He explained that these formations are generally divided into factions linked to the religious authority in Najaf and declaring their loyalty to the Iraqi state, and others loyal to Tehran and linked to its regional agenda, in addition to formations linked to other Iraqi political and religious forces.

 

The newspaper confirmed that the factions closest to Iran represent the most prominent tools of Tehran’s influence within Iraq, noting that some of them possess significant military capabilities, including long-range missiles, air defense systems, and advanced weapons.

 

She added that these groups are no longer just military formations, but have become part of the political, economic and social landscape in Iraq, through their business networks and influence within parliament and the government, which has made their presence extend beyond the security field to various state institutions.

 

The newspaper quoted Iranian analysts as saying that these factions represent important bargaining chips for Tehran, as it uses them to expand the scope of the confrontation and keep it away from Iranian territory, and to involve new parties in the conflict, thereby raising its cost for the United States and its allies.

 

Conversely, some analysts acknowledged that Tehran sometimes demands more from these groups than they can deliver, despite the difficulty of targeting or dismantling them due to their reliance on extensive human networks and their spread within society and institutions.

 

The report also quoted an Iranian official as saying that some members of these factions were inside Iran during the recent war to help support official forces, impose control on the streets, and prevent anti-government protests.

 

The official added that a number of these fighters have begun returning to Iraq following recent developments, stressing that support continues to be provided to them to enable them to defend their positions, which the newspaper considered an indication of the depth of these groups’ connection to the Iranian security system.

 

In contrast, the report noted that human rights organizations and Iraqi activists accuse leaders of some factions of being behind assassinations and kidnappings targeting journalists, protest leaders, and critics of Iranian influence.

 

The newspaper pointed out that the entanglement of these groups with Iraqi state institutions makes it difficult to dismantle or eliminate them, as they benefit from legal cover and official funding, in addition to their political allies having significant influence within parliament and the government.

 

She added that the administration of US President Donald Trump has exerted pressure on Iraqi leaders to limit the influence of armed groups and subject them to the authority of the state, but military experts believe that the Popular Mobilization Forces cannot be dissolved by a decision from the Prime Minister or by a single religious edict.

 

Experts explained that the factions and parties allied with them have a decisive weight within the Iraqi parliament, and it is not expected that they will agree to measures that would end their influence or reduce their military and political presence.

 

The report also noted that the United States and its allies do not want excessive pressure on these groups to lead to a widespread security breakdown within Iraq or for the country to slide into a new internal conflict.

 

The Telegraph concluded that pro-Iranian factions remain deeply entrenched within the Iraqi state structure and are difficult to completely remove. They also retain the ability to transform Iraq into a new arena for conflict at any time, making them an influential factor in future regional confrontations.

 

 

https://1news-iq.net/تمتلك-صواريخ-بعيدة-المدى-ومنظومات-دفا/

[ronscarpa]

 

These Iraqi IRI factions of the PMF are nothing but mercenaries under IRGC direction. Many have IRGC coordinators within their ranks. Their allegiance is to Mojtaba Khamenei and NOT the Iraqi government or Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Sistani, who has indicated the weapons should be under state control and militia guidance.