Unrest in Iraq over the delay in paying salaries to thousands of members of the "Al-Hashd al-Shaabi" (Popular Mobilization Forces) in Iraq, following American pressure related to the fight against Iran.
According to reports, the US Federal Reserve has demanded that the Iraqi company responsible for distributing salaries cease operations, which is leading to the delay. The American move is intended to increase oversight of the organization's annual budget, estimated at $2.7 billion, and to prevent the transfer of funds to corrupt elements linked to Iran.
Al-Hashd al-Shaabi is an umbrella organization in Iraq that brings together more than 60 militias, most of them Shiite, and is part of Iraq's security establishment. What could explain the American pressure is the close ties between Al-Hashd and Iran.
Most of the militias within it are operated and financed by Iran, mainly through the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards. This is why the pro-Iranian militias of Hashd al-Shaabi are considered part of the "axis of resistance" led by Iran.