ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The head of the Iraqi parliament's Security and Defense Committee on Sunday lashed out at remarks made by US Special Envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya regarding the country's security institutions, saying they constituted "blatant and unacceptable interference in Iraq's internal affairs" and urging the foreign ministry to summon the US ambassador over the matter.

Since his appointment to the role in October, Savaya, who is of Chaldean origins, has asserted Washington's stance against the activities of pro-Iran groups operating in Iraq and the proliferation of weapons outside out state control.

"No economy can grow, and no international partnership can succeed, in an environment where politics is intertwined with unofficial power," the US envoy said on Saturday. "Iraq now has a historic opportunity to close this chapter and reinforce its image as a state built on the rule of law, not the power of weapons."

"Let it be clear that the United States will not accept or permit any outside interference in shaping the new Iraqi government," Savaya said a few days earlier.

"This language, which disregards the sovereignty of the state, is inconsistent with the nature of relations that should be based on mutual respect and non-interference," MP Karim Aliwi al-Muhammadawi of the Badr Organization said in a statement.

"Iraq, through its constitutional institutions, security forces, and units operating under the state's authority, has demonstrated its full capacity to manage its security and organize its defense policies without the need for external guardianship or dictates," he continued.

The Security and Defense Committee head cited the success of the country's recent parliamentary elections as indicative of Baghdad's ability to manage its own affairs without foreign influence.

He further asserted that the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) comprise "an integral part of the Iraqi security apparatus," hailing their "competence, discipline, and decisive role in defending Iraq and its sovereignty."

The US has repeatedly sought to limit the role of the PMF, sanctioning many of its component bodies and staunchly opposing a bill seeking to further integrate the nexus of largely Shiite militias into the Iraqi state.

On September 17, the US State Department designated four Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs): Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kataib al-Imam Ali. Kataib Hezbollah has been designated since 2009 and Asaib Ahl al-Haq since 2020.

 Congressman Joe Wilson has strongly urged the designation of Iran-backed Iraqi groups as terrorist organizations, describing the Badr Organization as the “mother of all Iran-backed terror groups in Iraq.”

"We call upon the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take appropriate measures regarding these statements, summoning the US ambassador to convey Iraq's clear rejection of these irresponsible tactics, and to emphasize that Iraq will not accept any guardianship or interference, nor will it allow any questioning of its institutions or the will of its people," Muhammadawi continued.

"Iraqi decisions will remain governed by the principles of the state and the will of its people, not by hasty statements or those inconsistent with diplomatic norms," he concluded.