Iraq summons Lebanese ambassador over criticism of its paramilitary forces
On Wednesday, Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Lebanese ambassador to Iraq, Ali al-Habhab, to protest remarks made by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun regarding Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi.
In an official statement, the ministry expressed its disapproval of comments made by President Aoun in a recent interview, where he rejected the idea of adopting the PMF model to integrate Hezbollah into the Lebanese army.
Mohammed Bahr al-Uloom, Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations, emphasized that the PMF is a key pillar of Iraq’s security framework. He noted that the PMF is a legally recognized institution that is fully integrated into the Iraqi state system.
He added that it would have been preferable not to involve Iraq in Lebanon’s internal political debates by citing an official Iraqi entity as an example. The deputy minister also expressed hope that President Aoun would reconsider his remarks in the spirit of mutual respect and in the interest of strengthening the fraternal ties between the two nations.
For his part, Ambassador Ali al-Habhab reaffirmed the importance of Lebanese-Iraqi relations. He pledged to convey Baghdad’s concerns to President Aoun and to work toward easing tensions in order to preserve and deepen bilateral cooperation, the statement concluded.
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