The centralization of militias under the authority of the Iraqi government is an important step toward consolidating the state and reducing the fragmentation of armed power. This process may contribute to greater political stability and strengthen institutional confidence both within and outside the country.
In my opinion, the centralization of forces and the disarmament process of these groups represent a necessary step in building a more stable state, which could be a prerequisite for any significant improvement in the dinar situation in the future.
Therefore, it is important to continue observing how this integration process evolves and whether it translates into greater state cohesion and effective governance.
Iraqi PM urges armed factions to follow Al-Sadr move under state authority
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi on Wednesday welcomed Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM) leader Muqtada Al-Sadr’s decision to place Saraya Al-Salam, the movement’s armed wing, under state authority, calling it an important step toward strengthening stability and reinforcing the rule of law.
Al-Zaidi said the initiative would support Iraq’s security institutions in carrying out their constitutional duties and called on other armed factions to follow the same path through the country’s official institutions, based on the principle that “the state alone should hold the authority to monopolize arms and enforce the law.”
Earlier today, Al-Sadr announced the formal separation of Saraya Al-Salam from the PSM, formerly known as the Sadrist Movement, stating that its members would integrate into state institutions “in the national interest” and in response to risks facing the country.
The Shiite cleric had previously called for all armed factions in Iraq to be integrated into state-controlled institutions, remarks widely interpreted as directed at Iran-backed groups operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq umbrella, including Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kataib Sayyed al-Shuhadaa, and Harakat al-Nujaba. Many of those factions are formally part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a predominantly Shiite umbrella force incorporated into the Iraqi state in 2016, but they continue to maintain separate command structures and weapons networks outside direct government control.
• New rates have beenflashing on Redemption Center screens, meaning they are going up in value.
• The In-Country rate for Iraqi Dinar was rumored to be a little over $6. The Tier4b rate (us, the Internet Group) would be higher. You can get an even higher Contract Rate on the Dinar through exchanging at a Redemption Center, not a bank.
• Trump has announced that the Restored Republic is here via the Global Currency Reset.
• One source said the Tier4b green light would be on Thurs. 28 May 2026, with appointments as early as Friday 29 May.
• Other sources say notification Thurs-Fri with appointments launching over the weekend.
• They want the Zim Holders in first, and to get Med Bed treatment appointments at your exchange/redemption appointment.
The fact that Iraqi officials are discussing the exchange rate and the value of the dinar shows they clearly care about strengthening the national currency.
At the same time, they admit that true currency strength requires:
Al-Saadawi: Addressing The Monetary Crisis Cannot Be Achieved By Raising The Exchange Rate
Information/Special.. MP Abdul Hadi Al-Saadawi confirmed on Tuesday that addressing the monetary and economic situation in Iraq requires a comprehensive package of government measures, indicating that raising the exchange rate alone is not enough to achieve financial stability.
Al-Saadawi told Al-Maalouma News Agency, “Addressing the economic crisis must begin with clear government steps, not just by adjusting or raising the exchange rate, but by controlling the markets and preventing price hikes that burden citizens.”
He added that “the government is required to maintain the real value of the Iraqi dinar and enhance confidence in the local currency, especially with the continued existence of a difference between the dollar exchange rate in the currency selling window and the local markets that exceeds 20 points.”
He noted that “the Central Bank and the government have taken good steps in the past period to address the monetary and financial situation, but the next stage requires greater oversight of the markets and broader support for economic stability.”
Economic expert Nabil al-Ali stated in a previous interview with Al-Maalomah News Agency that the Central Bank should withdraw the newly printed currency from circulation as soon as it is no longer needed, and either destroy or store it instead of recycling it. He emphasized that this measure is the only way to maintain exchange rate stability and prevent monetary inflation that threatens citizens' purchasing power. End/25
🏛️ 1. “The State must hold the monopoly of weapons”
Ali al-Zaidi has repeatedly stated in his political program that:
all weapons must be under state control
no armed forces should exist outside official institutions
national security must be centralized under the government
👉 This is the foundation of any discussion regarding the PMF.
⚔️ 2. Integration, not direct confrontation
Instead of advocating for “forced disarmament,” his approach has been more political:
gradual integration of armed forces into the state
restructuring security institutions
avoiding direct confrontation with armed groups
👉 This is key because the PMF is part of Iraq’s internal political balance.
🧩 3. Political balance (avoiding internal escalation)
Reports about his government indicate that Al-Zaidi aims to:
maintain balance between the U.S. and Iran
avoid breaking alliances with internal factions
implement reforms without triggering internal conflict
👉 That is why his position is cautious and non-confrontational in public.
⚖️ 4. On the “Petraeus / U.S. pressure” issue
Reports suggest that:
the U.S. is pushing to reduce the influence of armed groups
Iraq is considering gradual security reforms
but the government avoids confirming any specific plans publicly
👉 Al-Zaidi’s office has not directly commented on the alleged “Petraeus plan.”
🧠 🔑 REAL CONCLUSION
✔ Al-Zaidi supports the idea that the state should control all weapons ✔ But he has NOT confirmed any specific “Petraeus-style” disarmament plan ✔ His strategy is gradual, political, and negotiated ✔ He avoids direct confrontation with the PMF for internal stability reasons
📊 💡 KEY IDEA
What is happening is not an implemented plan, but rather:
👉 international pressure + internal debate + political negotiation
Petraeus Hands Washington 'Executive Plan' to Disarm Iraq's Armed Factions
Iraqi officials said the United States has conditioned the integration of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on disarming armed factions, sidelining their leaders, and appointing professional officers to oversee the PMF’s infrastructure, a step Washington says is necessary because the force remains a major obstacle to restoring normal relations with Baghdad.
But Shiite groups said implementing the “bold plan,” which remains under discussion, would place Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government in an unequal confrontation with Iran and the factions linked to it, amid a lack of guarantees, warning of “internal divisions and unrest.”
What did Petraeus do in Baghdad?
The information disclosed by officials involved in technical and political discussions on the future of the PMF coincided with a visit by retired US General David Petraeus to Baghdad last week in his capacity as an “independent expert” providing advisory services to the White House.
After leaving Baghdad, Petraeus wrote on LinkedIn on May 17, 2026, that Iraqi officials he met “recognized the importance of ensuring that the Iraqi Security Services have a monopoly on the use of force in Iraq.” He added that he left Iraq “encouraged by what I heard, while also realistic about the dynamics with Iran.”
Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Petraeus spent five days in Baghdad, where he met senior Iraqi officials. The fate of PMF fighters was at the center of “serious discussions,” according to sources.
A US State Department spokesperson told Asharq Al-Awsat that Petraeus visited Baghdad as “a private citizen, nothing more.”
However, the level of meetings he held there, including with Iraq’s Chief Justice Faiq Zidan, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi, and Counter Terrorism Service chief Staff Lieutenant General Karim al-Tamimi, went beyond the nature of a personal visit.
An informed Iraqi source told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Petraeus’s meetings revolved around a single objective: reforming the military institution and ending the current PMF structure, while discussing realistic and practical mechanisms for integrating its members into the security institutions.”
Petraeus is among the most prominent commanders associated with the Iraq war after 2003. He gained experience through a range of field and strategic roles, most notably commanding the 101st Airborne Division during the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Petraeus now serves as partner and chief operating officer at KKR, a global investment management firm. Information available on the company’s website indicates that its activities are expanding across Middle Eastern countries, with no reference to Iraq.
KKR did not respond to Asharq Al-Awsat’s requests for comment on the nature of Petraeus’s visit to Baghdad or whether the White House had assigned him an advisory mission there.
However, three government and political figures told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US general “has been tasked with drafting an actionable executive paper to be submitted to the White House at a later stage through US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack.”
People close to the new prime minister in Baghdad told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Ali al-Zaidi will discuss this sensitive issue with US President Donald Trump if a planned visit to the White House takes place.”
An Iraqi official who declined to be identified said that “the preliminary date could be set after Eid al-Adha in June,” noting that “the timing could be affected by the course of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.”
General David Petraeus began his visit to Baghdad with a meeting with Iraq’s Chief Justice, Faiq Zidan (DPA).
“A Danger That Could Blow Up in Your Face”
A person familiar with the discussions held during Petraeus’s meetings said that “some Iraqi officials spoke to the US general as though they were speaking directly to President Trump. They displayed unusual candor about their concerns over the potential consequences of plans for the Popular Mobilization Forces that remain largely theoretical at this stage.”
Another source said that “the US general listened more than he spoke during his meetings with Iraqi officials, but he was clear about what Washington wants: eliminating the source of the regional threat.” Nevertheless, “the general left Baghdad without complete confidence in Baghdad’s ability to resolve the problem in line with the US vision.”
Two Western diplomats, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, said that “US confidence declined sharply during the final months of Sudani’s government because of what was viewed as leniency toward attacks by armed factions during the war. The current prime minister may now pay the price when he is asked to provide stronger security and political guarantees regarding the enforcement of state sovereignty.”
As attacks on Gulf states continued, and with the United States accusing the previous Iraqi government of providing official cover for these groups, the Popular Mobilization Forces and the armed factions associated with them have become “a knot that is difficult to untangle.” An Iraqi official said the issue is “a danger that must be dealt with, but when you get close to it, it could blow up in your face.”
Washington hopes that the new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman whose commercial activities are rumored to have prospered under the shadow of politics, will be able to distance his government from Iranian influence. It sees the issue of weapons outside state control as a test of whether trust can be maintained and support resumed, but the task will not be easy, according to a person close to him.
A person familiar with political consultations concerning the Popular Mobilization Forces said that “Petraeus did not answer questions raised by Iraqi officials about whether there would be sufficient backing to confront Iran if the Popular Mobilization Forces were dissolved.”
Shiite forces are pushing to refer the future of the Popular Mobilization Forces to parliament for discussion rather than addressing it under US pressure (AP).
Baghdad ‘Buys Time’
For Shiite leaders in Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are “a matter of destiny” and “a red line that cannot be crossed,” according to officials close to the factions. But the organization has become caught in intense regional polarization since the events of Oct. 7, 2023, and has been directly involved in the recent conflict between the United States and Iran.
Figures close to the armed factions have appeared on television warning of “retaliation against any government or political official who participates in a project to integrate or dissolve the PMF.”
A leader of an armed faction told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Iran recently urged them to resist the US effort aimed at dismantling the largest military force safeguarding its interests in the region.”
He added: “Generals from the Revolutionary Guards who play supervisory roles within Shiite factions, including those who run the Islamic Resistance in Iraq operations room, will put obstacles in the way if moves are made toward dissolving the PMF.”
According to an Iraqi lawmaker close to Kataib Hezbollah, the PMF is an institution operating under a law passed by the Iraqi parliament in 2016, and dissolving it would now require a parliamentary vote.
Shiite armed groups maintain influential political wings in the Iraqi parliament. Estimates suggest they hold around 80 seats, while the ruling Shiite alliance, the Coordination Framework, enjoys a comfortable majority of about 180 seats in the 329-member legislature, giving it substantial influence over the legislative process.
Two members of the Coordination Framework told Asharq Al-Awsat that “most leaders of the Shiite alliance informed the prime minister that they agree on the risks posed by the factions, but resolving the issue requires national dialogue and an incentives plan as part of a broader strategy involving the religious authority in Najaf, given the sensitivity of the political and security balances associated with it.”
A Western adviser working in Iraq told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Washington has come to view such ideas as attempts to buy time, and warnings about the risks of dissolving the PMF are being used as a form of counterpressure against the United States.”
An Iraqi official also said that “US officials who held discussions with local officials before Petraeus’s talks in Baghdad made it clear that overlooking the PMF issue carries an extremely high cost.”
