Al-Fayadh’s Speech: Balancing Deterrence and Preserving the Arms of the Resistance
The Chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Falih al-Fayadh, delivered these pivotal statements in mid-June 2026, marking the anniversary of the sacred "Defensive Jihad" Fatwa and the founding of the PMF. This address comes at a highly critical juncture for Iraq and the Axis of Resistance. It coincides with intense political pressure to disarm and integrate armed factions into the Ministry of Defense under the banner of "state monopoly over weapons"—a priority pushed firmly by the new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, ahead of his upcoming diplomatic mission to Washington.
Reading Between the Lines: What is His True Message?
Al-Fayadh’s true message is far from total capitulation or unilateral disarmament. Instead, it is a calculated strategy of "Smart Institutionalization to Safeguard Strategic Assets." By emphasizing that the PMF is an official force under the command of the Commander-in-Chief and an indispensable pillar of stability, he constructs a constitutional shield around the organization.
Artillery and Ammunition Remain Intact:
Al-Fayadh is sending a clear signal that the PMF’s heavy armor, artillery, and specialized rocketry are national defense assets, not illicit contraband. They serve as a vital deterrent against both Zionist-American aggression and any resurgence of terrorism.
Integration Over Dissolution:
His message reframes the disarmament debate. By submitting personnel records and equipment logs to government committees, the PMF is not liquidating itself; it is cementing its legal, state-backed legitimacy, ensuring its long-term survival against foreign-driven elimination efforts.
Factional Dynamics:
Who Complied and Who Holds the Line?
The Iraqi security arena has witnessed a tactical divergence in how various factions interface with Prime Minister Al-Zaidi's disarmament committee:
1. The Tactically Compliant & Integrated Factions:
Saraya al-Salam (The Sadrist Movement):
Formally initiated the handover of lower-value weapons in Samarra, announcing their structural separation from political movements to fully merge into state security apparatuses.
Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib al-Imam Ali:
Agreed to form joint state committees to catalog weapons, leveraging compliance to lock in their political legitimacy and protect their deep institutional influence within the government.
Current Position:
They seek to anchor their power from within the state structure, recognizing that institutionalizing their presence provides legal immunity against American targeting.
2. The Hardline Factions (Unyielding Resistance):
Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba:
Have firmly and unequivocally rejected disarmament, declaring the "weapons of the resistance as sacred." They refuse to surrender elite capabilities, drone technology, advanced rocketry, and independent intelligence networks while regional threats and US footprints persist.
Current Position:
Retaining autonomous command structures to maintain regional deterrence and safeguard the strategic depth of the Axis of Resistance.
Impact on Ali Al-Zaidi’s US Trip and Tom Barrack’s Response
These internal dynamics will directly shape upcoming diplomatic engagements:
Ali Al-Zaidi’s Washington Visit (July):
Al-Zaidi will travel to Washington with an agenda centered on economic development and regional stability. To deflect severe US financial and banking sanctions, he will present the compliance of Saraya al-Salam and the procedural cooperation of Asaib Ahl al-Haq as substantial progress in reining in armed groups.
The Response of US Envoy Tom Barrack:**
As the Trump administration’s envoy overseeing both Iraq and Syria, Barrack is focused on stabilizing the region and managing the scheduled wind-down of the anti-ISIS mission by September 2026.