Fmr. Iranian ambassador to Iraq: PMF an integral part of Iraq's armed forces

Pars Today – Iran's former ambassador to Iraq stressed that the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi) are an inseparable part of Iraq's official armed forces, saying that the U.S. and Saudi attacks on their positions constitute a clear violation of Iraq's national sovereignty and are unjustifiable.

According to Pars Today, citing IRIB News, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the former Iranian ambassador to Iraq, said during a televised interview on Wednesday night that the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi), as an integral component of Iraq's legally recognized armed forces, had come under attack.

He argued that the strikes, carried out before the announcement of the findings of the fact-finding committee investigating the attacks on Saudi oil facilities, indicate a premeditated plan to escalate tensions in the region.

He noted that Iraqi resistance groups have denied any involvement in the attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding that the attacks were carried out by cells allegedly linked to Ukraine, which are stationed in various parts of the region—including northern Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Syria, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia—and operate under the guise of drone training.

Kazemi Qomi asserted that the primary objective of these attacks is to provoke a confrontation between Iraq and Saudi Arabia and further escalate the regional crisis, a development he said would benefit the United States and the Israeli regime.

Earlier, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, responding to the joint U.S.-Saudi aggression against the country, declared that its response was inevitable and stated that it would target U.S. equipment and interests in Saudi Arabia whenever circumstances required.

Meanwhile, Sayyid Ammar al-Hakim, leader of Iraq's National Wisdom Movement (Hikma), condemned the U.S. and Saudi attacks on several Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) positions in various Iraqi provinces.

The Coordination Framework, an alliance of Iraq's Shia political factions, also issued a statement condemning U.S. and Saudi aggression against Iraq, warning that the attacks would further complicate the situation in the country.