Gulf States and Jordan Warn Iran Over Proxy Forces as Iraq Authorizes PMF Self-Defense
Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan have issued a joint statement addressing the escalating regional crisis and Iran's continued use of proxy forces, most notably the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq. The statement carries significant weight, both in its language and its timing.
The six nations strongly condemned Iran's missile and drone attacks against sovereign territories across the region, including the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs The statement made clear that if Iran persists in using its proxy forces against neighboring states, those states reserve the right to self-defense. The signatories also called on the Iraqi government to exercise immediate and effective control over the PMF.
The statement comes as Iraq's own government faces a deepening internal dilemma. Iraq's National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, authorized the PMF to exercise the right of self-defense and respond to any attacks targeting their positions. Al Arabiya The decision followed a deadly strike on PMF headquarters. The council ordered a response to attacks on PMF and other security forces "with all available means, based on the principle of self-defense." The National
The timing of that authorization is deeply problematic. In recent weeks, PMF factions have been linked to attacks not only on Iraqi military units and US and coalition forces, but also on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and neighboring countries including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Granting the PMF broader operational freedom while those same forces remain entangled in cross-border aggression sends a contradictory signal and further complicates Baghdad's ability to manage its relationships with both its neighbors and its international partners.
While officially part of Iraq's security apparatus and under the authority of the commander-in-chief, many PMF factions maintain parallel chains of command and are widely believed to answer to Tehran. The National This dual character is precisely what makes the Iraqi government's position so precarious. Baghdad cannot credibly claim control over the PMF while simultaneously granting it an open-ended mandate to respond with force.
What makes the joint statement particularly notable is the broader diplomatic context in which it was issued. Over the past several years, the Iraqi government and its foreign ministry have made considerable efforts to normalize and expand political relations with their Gulf neighbors, a policy shift widely seen as an attempt to reduce Iraq's dependence on Iran and reposition the country as a regional bridge. Those diplomatic gains are now at risk. The statement from the six nations is not simply a condemnation. It is a warning to Baghdad that continued inaction on the PMF file has limits, and that the patience of Iraq's neighbors is not unconditional.
For Iraq's government, the challenge is acute. It must respond to domestic political pressure from PMF-aligned factions, manage an active conflict playing out on its own soil, and simultaneously preserve the regional relationships it has worked years to build. The language coming out of Kuwait City, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, and Amman suggests that window for navigation is narrowing.
