As Iraq’s parliament set its late-August agenda without the Popular Mobilization Forces law, questions arose over whether Shiite factions had bowed to U.S. pressure and abandoned legislation they once pledged to force through.

Days after Iranian officials rejected calls to dissolve the PMF, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, arrived in Baghdad on August 11, 2025, for a three-day visit to sign a joint security memorandum.

As Iraq’s parliamentary elections draw closer, political factions are stepping up their media campaigns, using crises and incidents to discredit rivals, even at the cost of civilian lives.

Iraq’s drone strike probe found the attacks came from an Iran-aligned militia inside the country, but the government has avoided naming those responsible, raising suspicions of a political cover-up.

Iraq’s election lists are witnessing fierce battles as intense as the fight for parliamentary seats, with early contests erupting within political alliances over the coveted top spot on candidate lists.