Pro-Iranian militias from the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) took part in Quds Day events in Iraq on March 28. The annual event, part of Iran’s attempt to mobilize opposition to Israel, takes place on the last Friday of Ramadan, is widely covered by Iranian state media, and is backed by pro-Iranian organizations in the Middle East. In Iraq, the turnout for Quds Day events took place amid continuing controversy in Baghdad over the future role of the PMU. There have been calls to rein in various militias that are linked to Iran.
Iraq’s Shafaq News reported that the day’s observance “saw significantly lower turnout, fewer venues, and a notable absence of senior figures from armed factions and political blocs.” Videos posted online showed hundreds of men marching in Quds Day events. One of the videos purportedly showed a gathering in Diyala Governorate and another in Kadhimiya, a neighborhood in Baghdad. It is unclear from photos and videos if the turnout was widespread, though most images do not appear to show large numbers of people.
A Telegram channel linked to the PMU put out several posts to commemorate the day. One stated, “Jerusalem will remain the capital of [our] hearts.” It also declared that Jerusalem, which is known as Al Quds in Arabic, is on the “path of martyrs.”
A second post on the PMU-linked Telegram channel shows missiles raining down on Jerusalem, with the city’s Dome of the Rock in the background. “On International Quds Day, we renew our pledge of loyalty to the sacrifices of the martyrs who gave their lives in defense of Jerusalem and its holy sites,” the message read. The image appears to show the back of the late Kataib Hezbollah leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis as he looks down on Jerusalem. Muhandis was killed in January 2020 by a US drone strike that also killed Iranian Islamic Revolution Guard Corps – Quds Force (IRGC-QF) leader Qasem Soleimani.
Iran encouraged Iraqis to turn out for Quds Day. Shafaq News noted that on March 27, Mojtaba al Husseini, the representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iraq, “called on Iraqis to take part in ‘massive rallies with the participation of men and women from all social segments’ on Friday, in observance of International Quds [Jerusalem] Day.” In addition, Iraqi cleric and politician Ammar Hakim and Hadi al Amiri, the leader of the Badr Organization, issued statements to commemorate the day. Amiri used a similar background for his statement as other pro-Iranian figures. Badr has numerous armed militias that make up a number of brigades within the PMU.
Iran held a naval drill in the Persian Gulf to mark Quds Day, and Iranian state-linked media claimed that Iraqi vessels took part in the exercise. It was unclear which Iraqi vessels participated.
The Quds Day events in Iraq took place amid continued discussions in Iraq’s parliament about the future of the PMU. Shafaq News reported on March 31 that “informed sources revealed on Sunday that all Shiite forces have agreed to discuss the details of the process of integrating all armed factions of the ‘Axis of Resistance in Iraq’ into the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).” A meeting is planned for after the Eid al Fitr holiday, which took place on March 30.
Qais Khazali, secretary-general of the Asaib al Haq movement, gave a speech for Eid al Fitr in which he called for Baghdad to pass a law that would provide PMU more rights. “For more than seven years, no law has been enacted to guarantee equality for Popular Mobilization Forces fighters with their counterparts in the Ministries of Interior and Defense.” Asaib al Haq runs an armed militia that is part of the PMU. Khazali was sanctioned in 2019 by the US Department of the Treasury for his militia’s role in killing Iraqi protesters.
It remains to be seen if Baghdad will pass a law that integrates more units into the PMU and standardizes the militias or reins them in.
