Introduction
How is the Military in Iraq and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Army Aviation Command, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Air Defense Command, Special Forces Command, Special Security Division
National-Level Security Forces: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS), Prime Minister's Special Forces (Security) Division, Presidential Brigades
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
Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC): Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Tribal Mobilization Forces (TMF)
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG): Kurdish Security Forces (2025).
National-Level Security Forces: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS), Prime Minister's Special Forces (Security) Division, Presidential Brigades
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
Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC): Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Tribal Mobilization Forces (TMF)
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG): Kurdish Security Forces (2025).
In 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)
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)
Security and military information of Iraq
| Military and security service personnel strengths | information varies; approximately 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: approximately 150,000 active personnel (2025) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Iraqi military's inventory includes a mix of equipment from a wide variety of sources, including China, several European countries, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, and the US (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023). note: service in the armed forces was mandatory in Iraq from 1935 up until 2003; in 2021, the Iraqi cabinet approved a draft law to reinstate compulsory military service and referred the proposed law to the Iraqi parliament; as of 2023, the proposed law had been shelved |
| Military deployments | . |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2024 | 2.5% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2023 | 2.5% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2022 | 1.8% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2021 | 3% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2020 | 3.2% of GDP (2020 est.) |
Terrorism
In Iraq, the different Terrorist group(s) inlcude: Ansar al-Islam; Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al-Naqshabandi; Kata'ib Hizballah; Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
All Important Facts about Iraq
Want to know more about Iraq? Check all different factbooks for Iraq below.
