ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday told Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani that the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) needs to be preserved and further strengthened, amid international calls on Baghdad to dissolve all armed groups.

Sudani conducted a one-day visit to Iran on Wednesday, meeting with the country’s top officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, and discussing bilateral relations and developments in Iraq and the wider region.

“The PMF is a crucial component of power in Iraq, and more efforts should be made to preserve it and to strengthen it even further,” Khamenei’s website cited the Supreme Leader as saying during his meeting in Tehran.

There have been reports in recent weeks of international calls, mainly from the US, on Baghdad to disarm and dissolve armed groups not operating under the umbrella of Iraqi state forces, including the Iraqi government-linked and Iran-backed PMF.

“The evidence indicates that the Americans are trying to establish and expand their presence in Iraq, and we must stand up to this occupation with seriousness,” Khamenei added.

The statement from Sudani’s office regarding the meeting left out any mention of the PMF, but did highlight the role of Iraq’s “security forces of all kinds” in combating the threat of “terrorism”.

Sudani stressed that “the government is moving today based on Iraq's supreme interests, and in a way that ensures the preservation of Iraq's sovereignty,” according to the statement.

Sudani’s visit to Tehran comes days after reports circulated regarding a secret trip by Iranian military commander Esmail Qaani to Baghdad, where he allegedly met with armed faction leaders, many of which are backed by Iran. He reportedly urged the armed groups to align with the Iraqi government’s directives and avoid any armed activities.

The US has approximately 2,400 military personnel deployed in Iraq. US forces were deployed to Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government in 2014 to fight the Islamic State (ISIS), which had then overrun large swathes of Iraqi territory in the north and west of the country.

The Iraqi government had previously signaled a commitment to end the US military presence by “no later than the end of September 2025.” However, recent developments in neighboring Syria and broader geopolitical dynamics have prompted a reassessment, according to Iraqi officials and media reports.