Harakat al-Nujaba urges Iraq to expel US forces after strikes on PMF

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Harakat al-Nujaba, one of Iraq's most hardline Iran-backed factions, called on the government on Wednesday to expel US forces and cut all ties with Saudi Arabia, hours after American and Saudi jets struck Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) sites across several provinces and killed at least 20.

In a statement, the group condemned the US-Saudi assault on Iraqi cities that “proved that the two governments respect neither Iraq's sovereignty nor any prior commitments,” and vowed that Washington and Riyadh would pay a heavy price.

Harakat al-Nujaba is led by Akram al-Kaabi, a US-designated figure, and belongs to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose coalition of Iran-aligned factions centered on driving American forces out of the country. Unlike allied groups —such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq, whose al-Sadiqoun bloc holds 27 seats in parliament, or Kataib Hezbollah, which runs the six-seat Hoqooq bloc— al-Nujaba has no registered political wing of its own and holds no seats in the Council of Representatives.

The group directed five demands at the Iraqi government and official bodies:

- Expel US forces and shut down the bases and headquarters tied to what it called the American occupation, arguing their presence threatens Iraq's security and stability.

- End every form of cooperation with the Saudi government, which it accused of funding terrorism against Iraq.

- Move beyond statements of condemnation, which it said only embolden the attackers, and respond directly.

- Acquire advanced air-defense systems to protect Iraqi airspace, and hold accountable those it blamed for leaving the country's skies exposed.

- Warned that it would not allow Iraqi territory to be targeted without imposing a high cost on the interests and security of the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Hadi al-Amiri, secretary-general of the Badr Organization, another Iran-aligned Shia political party and armed faction within the PMF, demanded that the government take a firm and decisive stance. Secretary-General of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Qais al-Khazali, said that attacking an Iraqi security force on Iraqi soil constitutes "a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty, warning of "serious consequences."  He also stressed the need to complete the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraqi territory while strengthening the country's defensive capabilities.