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| Military of Iraq | |
|---|---|
| Name | Iraqi Armed Forces |
| Native name | القوات المسلحة العراقية |
| Founded | 1921 (modern), 2004 (reconstituted) |
| Headquarters | Baghdad |
| Commander in chief | Abdul Latif Rashid |
| Minister of defense | Mohammed al-Hashimi |
| Chief of staff | Lieutenant General |
| Active personnel | 200,000+ |
| Reserves | 50,000+ |
| Age | 18 |
| Conscription | Suspended (2010s) |
| Military parade | Armed Forces Day (Iraq) |
| Anniversaries | Army Day (Iraq) |
Military of Iraq is the collective armed forces and security institutions responsible for the defense of Iraq and its territorial integrity. It evolved through monarchic, republican, Ba'athist, post-2003 coalition, and post-2010 Iraqi government phases, interacting with regional powers such as Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, and with international actors like the United States Department of Defense, United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, and NATO partners. The forces have been shaped by conflicts including the Iraq War (2003–2011), the Iran–Iraq War, and the campaign against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Iraq's armed institutions trace roots to the Iraq Levies and the Kingdom of Iraq's Royal Iraqi Army established under British Army oversight in the 1920s, later engaging in the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty era and the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état. Post-1958 Iraqi Republic (1958–1968) politics produced coups, politicized units like the Special Republican Guard, and purges associated with leaders such as Abdul Karim Qasim and Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr. The Ba'athist period under Saddam Hussein expanded forces, culminating in the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War, followed by sanctions regimes overseen by United Nations Security Council resolutions. The 2003 invasion of Iraq by a Coalition (2003 invasion of Iraq) force dissolved core institutions, leading to the Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) and the reconstruction of forces under the Coalition Provisional Authority and later the Iraqi Ministry of Defence (2004–present). The rise of ISIL prompted the 2014 mobilization and international campaigns including Operation Inherent Resolve.
The command structure centers on the President of Iraq as constitutional commander-in-chief, the Iraqi Council of Ministers, and the Iraqi Ministry of Defense (2004–present), with operational control delegated to the Iraqi Joint Operations Command. Strategic guidance involves the Prime Minister of Iraq and coordination with the Iraqi National Security Council. Parallel security bodies include the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service and the Popular Mobilization Forces, which report through mixed chains tied to the Prime Minister's Office and parliamentary oversight such as the Council of Representatives of Iraq. International liaison occurs with the Multinational Force in Iraq legacy structures and contemporary military missions like the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.
Iraq's principal branches comprise the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Air Force, and the Iraqi Navy. Specialized formations include the Iraqi Special Operations Forces, formerly the Golden Division, and the Iraqi Republican Guard's successors. Paramilitary and auxiliary formations consist of the Popular Mobilization Forces, the Iraqi Federal Police, and provincial units drawing from Kurdistan Regional Government forces such as the Peshmerga. Commanded units include corps-level formations, armored divisions, mechanized brigades, artillery brigades, aviation brigades, and naval squadrons operating from bases like Camp Taji, Al Asad Airbase, and the Basra naval facilities.
Personnel policies are governed by laws passed in the Council of Representatives of Iraq and administered by the Ministry of Defence (Iraq). Recruitment draws volunteers and former members of pre-2003 institutions, with integration programs for ex-Ba'athist officers and militia members negotiated during processes like the Iraq Study Group era and post-2008 reforms. Conscription was enacted at various times, suspended during the 2010s, and replaced with professional enlistment and reserve schemes informed by experiences from the Iraq War (2003–2011) and the War in Iraq (2013–2017). Notable personnel figures include commanders from the Iraqi Special Operations Forces and political leaders such as Nouri al-Maliki who influenced force structure.
Iraq fields a mix of legacy platforms acquired during the Cold War and modern systems procured from supplier states like the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, and France. Army inventories include T-72 and M1 Abrams tanks, BMP-1 and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, artillery such as the D-30 and M198 howitzer, and air defense systems including Soviet-era radar and Western systems. The Air Force operates aircraft like the F-16 Fighting Falcon, C-130 Hercules, and rotary-wing types such as the Bell AH-1 Cobra and Mi-28. The Navy maintains patrol vessels, fast attack craft, and mine countermeasure capabilities tailored to Gulf littoral security and protection of oil export infrastructure such as terminals in Khor al-Amaya and Al Basrah Oil Terminal.
Iraqi forces have been engaged in major campaigns: interstate conflicts like the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War (1990–1991), internal suppression operations during the 1991 Iraqi uprisings, counterinsurgency during the Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011), and the nation-wide counter-ISIL campaign culminating in battles such as the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017), the Siege of Fallujah (2016), and operations in Tikrit. Multinational cooperation occurred in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve, with significant engagements involving coalition partner units from the United States Marine Corps, British Army, and other contributors. Security operations also address border incidents with Syria and Turkey and maritime security in the Persian Gulf.
Training programs involve domestic academies such as the Iraqi Military Academy and international courses with partners including the United States Military Academy, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and NATO training missions. Doctrine integrates counterinsurgency lessons from the Iraq War (2003–2011), stabilization principles from the Stabilisation Unit (UK), and coalition interoperability standards from NATO and Combined Joint Task Force frameworks. Specialized training for counterterrorism is conducted alongside the U.S. Army Special Forces and advisors from the International Coalition, while naval and aircrew training have benefited from programs with the United States Navy and USAF.
Category:Armed forces of Iraq Category:Military history of Iraq