BAGHDAD, Iraq – Days after Iranian officials rejected calls to dissolve the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, arrived in Baghdad on August 11, 2025, for a three-day visit that underscored Tehran’s influence in Iraq.

His trip, which included signing a joint security memorandum, sparked sharp criticism from Washington and embarrassed the Iraqi government.

Larijani signed a security memorandum with Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji, focused on border coordination and preventing armed groups from undermining both countries’ security.

He also met Iraq’s president, prime minister, and parliamentary speaker, emphasizing Iran’s concern for regional stability.

The timing was notable: only days earlier, Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had rejected what he called U.S. plans to dismantle the PMF in a call with Nouri al-Maliki. Larijani himself declared that Iraq did not need outside impositions.

Iraq’s National Security Advisory Office quickly clarified that the memorandum was not a binding treaty but was built on a March 2023 agreement requiring Baghdad to stop Iranian Kurdish opposition groups from using Iraqi territory.

These groups include PJAK, Komala, and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan. The office stressed the memorandum predated Israel’s June strikes on Iran and was signed under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s supervision.

Embarrassment for Baghdad

Analysts said Larijani’s visit embarrassed Baghdad at a sensitive moment. Researcher Latif al-Mahdawi argued that Iran deliberately timed the trip to highlight its sway in Iraq and complicate Baghdad’s ties with Washington.

He noted that Iran had previously embarrassed Iraq during the May 2025 Arab League summit by sending Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force, whose high-profile reception dampened Gulf participation.

Larijani’s visit, he said, fit a pattern of Tehran asserting dominance whenever Iraq moves closer to Arab or U.S. positions.

Shafaq News reported that Larijani’s broader mission was to rally the “axis of resistance,” reorganize its leadership after recent setbacks, and prepare for the planned U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq in September.

He also discussed Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, stressing the importance of forming a government quickly to maintain stability.

Washington rejection

Washington reacted swiftly. The State Department said it opposed any measures that undermined U.S. objectives or turned Iraq into “an Iranian satellite state.”

Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stressed U.S. support for “genuine Iraqi sovereignty” and warned the memorandum contradicted Washington’s vision for Iraq’s security.

This criticism came amid a broader U.S. campaign against the PMF. For weeks, U.S. officials had publicly pressed Baghdad to dissolve the militia, arguing that legislation under discussion in parliament would institutionalize Iranian influence.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Prime Minister Sudani on July 22 that integrating the PMF into Iraq’s military would entrench armed groups and weaken sovereignty.

The proposed law, an amendment to Iraq’s 2016 PMF legislation, would fold the militia into the official armed forces under the commander-in-chief while granting it wide security powers. Western governments fear this would strengthen Tehran’s hand in Iraq.

Iraq defends its position

In response, Iraq’s embassy in Washington defended the memorandum, saying Iraq is a sovereign state free to conclude agreements in line with its national interests.

The statement framed the memorandum as a tool to safeguard borders, promote regional stability, and balance relations with both neighbors and global partners.

National Security Adviser al-Araji echoed this stance after meeting Steven Fagin, the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Baghdad, on August 16. He stressed Iraq’s commitment to balanced policies, sovereignty, and openness to “friendly and brotherly nations.”

According to his office, Fagin reiterated U.S. support for Iraq’s balanced foreign relations despite concerns over the memorandum.

Larijani’s visit highlighted Iran’s enduring influence in Iraq and the friction it creates with Washington. While Baghdad insists the security memorandum merely formalizes existing cooperation, its timing—amid U.S. calls to dismantle the PMF—deepened tensions.

For Iraq, caught between two powerful partners, the challenge remains how to maintain sovereignty while managing competing pressures from Tehran and Washington.