On Tuesday, the day before the coalition's mission in Iraq closed, the cabinet voted through the PMF Service and Retirement Law and sent it to parliament: ranks, salaries and pensions inside the state for the fighters who bring their weapons in.
The blocs handed al-Zaidi the authority to fill the 9 empty cabinet chairs as one package after Sovereignty Day. Kataib Hezbollah answered with a threat to police Iraqi airspace and bring the government down.
The law
Per the Prime Minister's office, the Council of Ministers “voted in favor of the Popular Mobilization Forces bill” and “approved referring the bill to parliament for a vote, in accordance with constitutional provisions.” The package includes the PMF Service and Retirement Law, built to organize the Popular Mobilization Commission the way the state organizes its other security agencies: a structure, a ladder of ranks, pensions, and compensation for the families of fighters killed in service. The bill was first sent to parliament in early 2025 and shelved. It came back in August without the provisions Washington had objected to, and regional press reports Washington still opposes it.
Everything else that moved
- The cabinet — per Iraqi press citing political sources, most blocs have authorized al-Zaidi to pick the remaining ministers himself, Interior and Defense included, as a single package. Completion is expected after the Sovereignty Day ceremonies, with a televised address by the Prime Minister. No date has been printed.
- The holdout — Kataib Hezbollah says it will monitor Iraqi airspace from October 1, “warn at first, and then shoot them down,” and bring the government down “by all means” if the ban on Iranian flights continues.
- The air force — the same day, Air Force commander Lieutenant General Khalid al-Tamimi said every mission inside Iraq is flown “with complete independence from the International Coalition,” which has flown none in Iraq this year, and that Baghdad is in advanced talks with Paris for 14 Rafale fighters.
- The exit — the coalition formed in 2014 ends its Iraq mission today. Italy completed its withdrawal after 12 years on Tuesday. No statement from the Pentagon, Central Command or the White House has marked the day.
- The street — $100 closed Tuesday near 157,500 dinars in Baghdad, up from 156,500 on Monday and 155,250 on Sunday, against the official 131,000. The cash shipment promised on Saturday had not arrived by Tuesday night.
- The budget — the 2027 draft is still with the Council of Ministers, which voted the PMF law this week and not the budget. Parliament's date is October 15. From tomorrow, importers pay customs duties before their dollars leave the bank.
- Tehran — the rial hit a record 2.54 million to the dollar on Tuesday. Trump denied offering sanctions relief: “I offered them NOTHING.” Bessent said Iran will have nothing left to trade within 2 weeks, and Tether confirmed over $550 million in Iran-linked stablecoins frozen this year, including wallets the Treasury tied to the Central Bank of Iran.
The trade
For 2 years the case for a militia's weapons ran on a foreign presence to point at and a payroll from Tehran underneath. The presence is gone as of today. Iran's own central bank governor has said the oil money is dry. What the cabinet put on the table on Tuesday is a state payroll instead, with the price al-Zaidi named at the United Nations: the state decides war and peace, and weapons stay in constitutional hands.
Credit: Written by Reset Intelligence — David E. Atterton, author of Head of the Snake (@EXIT_FIAT). More at resetintelligence.com.
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