PMF denies reports of Faleh Al-Fayyad’s dismissal, calls circulating documents ‘flase’

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces on Saturday denied reports claiming that its chairman, Faleh Al-Fayyad, had been dismissed or forced into retirement, describing the documents circulating online as fabricated.

“There is no truth to what is being circulated regarding a forged letter attributed to the President of the Republic, which claims the dismissal or retirement of Mr. Faleh Al-Fayyad,” the PMF’s General Directorate of Information said in a statement. “These reports are false and must not be taken seriously. News should be obtained from official sources.”

The denial comes amid speculation surrounding Al-Fayyad’s status, fueled by controversy over a proposed draft law governing the PMF. The legislation, which is currently under parliamentary review, could impact hundreds of senior PMF officials—Al-Fayyad among them—who have exceeded the legal retirement age.

On July 16, Iraq’s parliament held a second reading of the bill despite a walkout by many Sunni and Kurdish lawmakers, who protested its inclusion on the session’s agenda without consensus.

The draft law has drawn criticism from international actors as well. In a recent call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced concern that the legislation would “institutionalize Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq’s sovereignty.”

The PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi, was established in 2014 to combat the rise of the Islamic State and operates under the authority of the prime minister. While officially part of Iraq’s security forces, it includes powerful factions with close ties to Iran and varying levels of autonomy from state control.