Iraq

the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are primarily focused on internal and border security; they are actively conducting counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist group, particularly in northern and western Iraq; the operations include securing the border with Syria; the Kurdish Security Forces, as well as are also active in conducting operations against ISIS two international military task forces operate in Iraq to assist the country's security forces at the request of the Iraqi Government; in 2018, NATO established an advisory, training and capacity-building mission for the Iraqi military known as the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI); in December 2021, the US-led Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) transitioned from a combat role to an advise, assist, and enable role (2025)

Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force Office of the Prime Minister: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS); Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC) Ministry of Interior: Federal Police Forces Command, Border Guard Forces Command, Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, Emergency Response Division, Facilities Protection Directorate, and Provincial Police; Ministry of Oil: Energy Police Directorate (2025)

note 1: the Iraqi military and associated security forces are collectively known as the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF); the Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS) includes the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF)

note 2: the Iraqi Government funds the PMF, and it is mandated by law to act under government control but many of the militia units take orders from individual government officials and/or associated political parties; some militias have ties to Iran and some have been designated as terrorist organizations by the US (see Terrorism Reference)

note 3: the federal constitution provides the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) the right to maintain its own military and security forces, known as the Kurdish Security Forces (KSF); some forces, such as the Regional Guard Brigades, are unified under the KRG's Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, but the two main Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), also maintain their own military forces, police, emergency response, and internal security/intelligence services

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2025)

the Iraqi military's inventory includes a mix of European, Russian, Soviet-era, and US armaments (2025)

estimated 200,000 active armed forces personnel under the Ministry of Defense (Army, Aviation Command, Air/Air Defense, Navy, Special Forces); approximately 20-25,000 National-Level Security Forces Ministry of Peshmerga: estimated 150,000 active personnel Popular Mobilization Forces: estimated 200,000 militia (2025)