Leaders of Iraq’s Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fear the US may designate their group as a terrorist organization, following Washington’s reclassification of Yemen’s Houthi militia, a Kuwaiti daily reported Wednesday.
Fear over a potential designation prompted emergency meetings among Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani and PMF leaders, Al Seyassah reported.
A senior Iraqi official was quoted as saying that Washington’s decision is driven by Iraq’s refusal to dissolve the PMF and the group's close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The State Department announced Tuesday that it is officially implementing its decision to designate the Iran-backed Houthi movement as a terrorist organization, setting in motion President Donald Trump's push earlier this year, to do so.
State Secretary Marco Rubio cited the Houthis' attacks on Red Sea shipping and threats to US and allied security as justification for the designation.
Since October 7, the Houthis have launched near-daily drone and missile attacks on Israel and targeted shipping, claiming it as an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), encompassing factions such as Kata'ib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, have actively engaged in operations against US forces in Iraq and Syria, aligning with Iran's regional strategy.
Following a drone attack in January last year at a US outpost in Jordan—known as Tower 22—that resulted in the deaths of three US soldiers and injuries to 47 others, the US conducted retaliatory airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq and Syria.
Subsequently, Kata'ib Hezbollah announced a suspension of its military operations against US forces to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government, which had called for de-escalation.
Russia is an active geopolitical player with its own vested interests, Nematollah Izadi told ILNA News Agency on Friday.
"There is no doubt the Russians are interested in mediating between Iran and the US, but whether they can do so effectively remains in doubt," Izadi said. "They play a role in regional issues concerning Iran, the US, and Europe and have their own interests. Therefore, they cannot be impartial mediators."
He also urged Iran to adopt a balanced foreign policy, warning against over-reliance on a single ally.
"If Iran fails to do so, all of its foreign policy ‘eggs’ will end up in Russia’s basket—and most likely China’s as well," he said. "This will undoubtedly have negative consequences, as it will limit Iran’s options."
His remarks come following an alarming report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier this week.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi revealed that Iran had significantly increased its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, raising further concerns over its nuclear intentions.
Grossi also acknowledged that Western sanctions have failed to curb Tehran’s nuclear expansion, with its program growing significantly in recent years.
“Sanctions aren’t working,” Grossi told Bloomberg. “Quite obviously, the country has learned to circumvent them. The program has grown enormously, especially since 2018.”
The IAEA has consistently argued that there is no credible civilian use for uranium enriched to 60%, as it is just a short technical step from weapons-grade (90%) uranium.
Russia’s expanding role in Iran talks
As Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West intensifies, Russia has positioned itself as a key diplomatic actor, proposing talks with Washington.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov met with Iranian Ambassador Kazem Jalali on Thursday to discuss international efforts to resolve issues surrounding Iran's nuclear program, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.
Moscow has agreed to assist the US in communicating with Iran on various issues, including its nuclear program and support for regional anti-US proxies, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, later confirmed by the Kremlin.
The report, later picked up by Russian state media, quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that "Russia believes that the United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations" and that Moscow "is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this."
Last month, before the Russian offer of mediation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, where both sides "aligned their positions" on the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal that unraveled following the US withdrawal in 2018.
Additionally, in an exclusive interview with BBC Persian, Russia’s IAEA envoy Mikhail Ulyanov dismissed Western concerns about Iran’s uranium enrichment, calling US and European warnings a "political pressure tactic."
"Our Western colleagues seem to think the Middle East is too calm, and they want to add fuel to the fire," Ulyanov said.
Missile program and regional influence: a key sticking point
A major sticking point in nuclear negotiations is whether talks will include Iran’s missile program and regional influence, issues that the US insists must be addressed in any new deal, but Tehran and Moscow reject.
"Negotiations should not include Iran’s missile program or its regional influence," Ulyanov said. "Adding these topics would complicate the process and make it unmanageable."
This mirrors the original 2015 JCPOA, which focused solely on Iran’s nuclear program while excluding its missile program and regional activities, a framework Iran insists must remain unchanged.
Iran's shift away from the West
Izadi’s concerns over Russia’s mediation come amid Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s ban on negotiations with the United States, issued in early February after President Donald Trump announced plans to intensify sanctions. Trump called for an agreement that would permanently prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Khamenei has long pushed for closer ties with Russia and China, rejecting reliance on the US and Europe, a stance that has hardened since the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and renewed sanctions.
This shift has had domestic political consequences, most notably in the forced resignation of Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s former Foreign Minister who negotiated the JCPOA.
