Iran’s Leader Warns Iraq Not to Weaken Shiite Militias

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday against any measures that could weaken the Tehran-backed Shi’ite paramilitary groups, saying such actions would endanger Baghdad’s stability. Media reported that at a meeting in Tehran, Khamenei said the Shi’ite militias were Iraq’s main forces pushing back Sunni jihadist groups, and Baghdad should not trust the United States in the fight against the Islamic State, Iranian state media reported. The Shi’ite militias, known as Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) helped Baghdad defend the country against the Islamic State militant group when Iraqi military and police divisions deserted en masse in 2014.