ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi on Wednesday offered his backing to the introduction of mandatory military service for Iraqis, dubbing it "a social and security necessity" and affirming he has consulted other lawmakers on the matter.

A statement from Halbousi's office recounted the parliamentarian's visit to the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Baghdad, where the Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah briefed him on the current state of the military and its personnel.

"The visit included in-depth discussions with the Ministry's leadership and senior officers and staff, addressing the necessity of reconsidering the issue of mandatory conscription as a strategic option for strengthening the army's capabilities and building a disciplined human resource base capable of shouldering national responsibility," the statement continued.

Halbousi endorsed the proposal, terming it "a security and social necessity that contributes to strengthening the military institution," as well as helping to mitigate unemployment, foster national unity, and cultivate a disciplined generation.

Iraq has previously toyed with reintroducing conscription, in force from 1935 until the fall of the Ba'athist regime in 2003, as a means of bolstering its security environment.

In 2021, then-Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi introduced the Compulsory Military Service law to parliament, which would have seen men between ages 18 and 35 serve in the armed forces for between three to 18 months, depending on their education levels. Conscripts would have received 600,000 to 700,000 Iraqi dinars per month.

However, the plan was shelved when current premier Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani assumed office.

"The Speaker of Parliament also affirms that his adoption and introduction of this law came after consultations with the heads of parliamentary blocs and the members of Parliament, ensuring its progress within a legislative framework that reflects the public interest and serves the requirements of national security in the coming phase," the statement from Halbousi's office concluded.

Many of Iraq's neighbors, including Iran, Jordan, Turkey, and Kuwait, have mandatory military conscription. 

According to the online index Global Firepower, the Iraqi military in 2026 boasts 193,000 active service members.

However, the lack of state control over some factions officially under the auspices of Baghdad in the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) has posed problems for the much-vaunted concept of a unified force with a monopoly on arms.

During the 2026 US-Israel-Iran conflict, pro-Iran factions within Iraq repeatedly targeted US interests, Kurdish security forces, and infrastructure, while US-Israeli strikes on PMF positions inadvertently killed members of the conventional army who were colocated with the PMF brigades.