Angle brackets on html and getting variables on myBB

Question

I've been trying to find the solution for this for a while now, I'm trying to write this line of code

<if $mybb->user['pms_unread'] >=1 then>
    <span class="badge btn-styles" style="position: absolute; margin: -3px 7px;">
    {$mybb->user['pms_unread']}<span class="expanding-circle"></span></span>
</if>

But the < < sign before if are seeing the > > sign on ->user as the closing.

How do I make it so that it recognize > > on then> ?