Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shia cleric, has reportedly opposed international calls to disband the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), according to sources cited by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.

The Iraqi government has received multiple requests from regional and international actors to dissolve the PMF and relinquish its weapons.

These demands, sources claim, have primarily come from Western nations, including the United States, which has long been critical of Iraqi resistance groups.

A key source disclosed details of two visits made by Mohamed Al Hassan, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, to Najaf for discussions with Ayatollah Sistani. The purpose of the second visit was to request a religious decree (fatwa) from Ayatollah Sistani that would either dissolve the PMF or integrate it into Iraq’s official security apparatus.

“During the first meeting, regional and national matters were discussed. However, during the second meeting, Ayatollah Sistani declined to meet with the UN envoy, signaling his opposition to the proposal,” the source stated. Instead, Ayatollah Sistani sent his son, Mohammed Ridha al-Sistani, to meet with the representative.

The source emphasized that the cleric’s decision reflects his stance against dissolving the PMF, which was initially formed following a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Sistani during the fight against ISIS. “Western pressures to disband the PMF are nothing new, but Ayatollah Sistani's position remains clear,” the source added.

Observers note that Ayatollah Sistani’s rejection of the UN’s proposal underscores his commitment to preserving the PMF’s role in Iraq’s security landscape while safeguarding the country’s sovereignty against external influence.