There is a joint vision among Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United States to neutralize the role of Shiite militias affiliated with the PMU, to prevent them from moving beyond Iraqi territories and advancing Iran’s agendas in the region.
Last year, Abadi merged all the PMU militias into an official government security institution under his direct leadership and integrated Sunni militias into the PMU to create a political balance, ward off Iranian influence and prevent them from carrying out military missions outside the official framework of the Iraqi government.
Although the PMU agreed to operate under Abadi's leadership, some Iran-affiliated militias did not hide their dissatisfaction with some of his policies, noting that they are not obliged to follow his orders beyond the Iraqi territories.
Seyed Ali al-Yaseri, the secretary-general of the paramilitary group Saraya al-Khorasani, known for its absolute loyalty to Iran, said in a televised interview Feb. 24, “We were not founded by the Iraqi state. It is true that we are a brigade under the PMU, but we also have three other brigades outside the framework of the Iraqi government. Those fight wherever necessary, be it in Syria or Yemen or elsewhere.”
Saudi Arabia's attempt to find a foothold in Iraq will depend on the result of Iran's election in early 2018. If Abadi stays in office as Iraqi prime minister for another term, the Saudis have a chance to create influence in Iraq, at least in the Sunni areas, but if an Iranian-backed candidate wins the office, the Saudis are unlikely to achieve that goal.
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