ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi authorities on Sunday arrested individuals allegedly involved in trampling the US flag during a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) parade in Baghdad.

The developments come after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the incident earlier on Sunday, and emphasized the need adhere “to laws and diplomatic norms.”

“Individuals involved in the incident concerning the US flag in Baghdad have been arrested,” the Zaidi’s spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said in a statement on Sunday.

“The government affirms that respecting the symbols of friendly nations and diplomatic missions accredited in Iraq is a legal and diplomatic obligation, and that any violation or act of disrespect in this regard will be subject to legal accountability,” he added.

In a Baghdad parade on Thursday, members of the PMF were recorded carrying portraits and driving over a US flag while celebrating the withdrawal of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS). 

The pictures of the US flag being trampled, published by Iraqi Telegram channels and the AFP news agency, could not be found on the PMF’s official media channels. 

Many factions within the PMF maintain strong ties to Iran.

US Congressman Joe Wilson, a staunch Iran critic, slammed the incident in an X post on Sunday, saying the PMF, “an official division of the Iraqi government’s security services, is seen desecrating the US flag out of disrespect and praising the murderous regime in Iran.”

The PMF, known as Hashd al-Shaabi, was formed upon a call by Iraq’s top Shiite authority Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani soon after the Islamic State (ISIS) took over large swathes of territory in Iraq. The force has been officially incorporated into the Iraqi armed forces, enjoying similar privileges as the Iraqi army.