Militia

The illusion of change in Iraq: Baghdad's militia shake-up masks a deeper Iranian strategy

BEHIND THE LINES: The decision by Zaidan’s allies to integrate their armed elements into state security forces represents an effort by a pro-Iranian element to consolidate its power.

Qais al-Khazali, head of the Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia in Iraq, speaks during a rally last year in Baghdad to present the Sadiqoon Movement ahead of parliamentary elections.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi delivers a televised address after assuming office, in Baghdad, Iraq May 16, 2026.

Iraq PM hosts Iranian-backed militias to push disarmament, consolidate state control

A mourner attends the funeral of a commander from Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah armed group who was killed in what they called a "Zionist attack" in the Syrian capital Damascus on Friday, during a funeral in Baghdad, Iraq September 22, 2024.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq signal move to place weapons under state control amid US pressure

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi man accused of helping Iran-backed militia's plans for attacks in the United States and Europe, stands before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon during his arraignment in Manhattan federal court in New York City, US, June 1, 2026 in a courtroom sketch

'We are in a war,' alleged Iran-backed militant exclaims in US court


Yemen gov't announces new PM as most of the country remains out of their control

Yemen's former Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak steps down and will be replaced by former Finance Minister, Salem Saleh Bin Braik

Protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, hold weapons to mark the annual al-Quds Day on the last Friday of Ramadan, in Sana'a, Yemen, March 28, 2025

Chaos ahead of elections among Iran-backed factions in Iraq - analysis

Iraq is having elections in November, and even though the day is far off, chaos is unfolding in the discussion about the lists ahead of the vote.

 Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends a press conference, in Baghdad, Iraq April 22, 2024.

High stakes game: Is Iran sending missiles to militias in Iraq? - analysis

Iran is messaging that it is prepared to keep its arms while also pretending it might comply with demands to rein in its power in Iraq.

 An Iranian drone and missile are displayed during an anti-Israeli march in Tehran, Iran, January 10, 2025

Israel involved in conspiracy to divide parts of Syria, Iraqi militia leader claims

Khazali claims the goal of the ‘David Corridor’ is to “reach the Kurdish lands in Iraq and Syria, considering the ongoing cooperation [between Israel and the Kurds]."

 Qais al-Khazali, head of the "Asaib Ahl al-Haq", one of the member factions of the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces) paramilitaries, speaks during an event commemorating the 21st anniversary of their creation, at a hotel in Baghdad on May 3, 2024.

IDF's Nasrallah funeral flyover shows things not what they were a year ago - analysis

Statements and speeches at the event have all indicated that Iran’s axis believes that the 'resistance' is not defeated.

 An IDF jet flies over Nasrallah and Safieddine's funeral ceremony in Beirut on February 23, 2025.

Iraq wants Iran-backed factions to lay down weapons, foreign minister says

The push comes with a backdrop of seismic shifts in the Middle East that have seen Iran's armed allies in Gaza and Lebanon heavily degraded and Syria's government overthrown by rebels.

 Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim men from the Iranian-backed group Kataib Hezbollah wave the party's flags as they walk along a street painted in the colours of the Israeli flag during a parade marking the annual Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, on the last Friday of Ramadan, in Baghdad. July 25, 2014

Pro-Iran militias in Iraq may move away from Syria border - analysis

The point of the report is that the Iraqis want to show that the militias who played a role in Syria will now not just be in Iraq, but will be moved away from the border.

 Members of an Iraqi Shi'ite armed group sit in a vehicle after an attack by a drone strike on an Iran-backed militia headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq January 4, 2024.

Israel strikes Syria, Iraq as part of broad response to Iran

Israel struck several targets across Syria and Iraq as part of its wide-reaching response to Iran.

 Photos of explosions in Syria from an Israel-attributed attack.

Libya central bank governor flees in fear for his life, FT says

The crisis over the control of the Central Bank of Libya creates yet another level of instability in the country, a major oil producer.

 FILE PHOTO: Governor of Central Bank of Libya, Siddiq al-Kabir gestures during an interview with Reuters in Tripoli, Libya September 1, 2021. Picture taken September 1, 2021.

Iran uses proxy militias in Iraq to pressure the US - analysis

Iran is prodding militias to increase threats to the US in Iraq in order to see if the US will pressure Israel not to strike harder at Hezbollah.

 PROTESTERS BURN an Israeli and a US flag in Tehran, earlier this year. The Iranian cyber threat is especially troubling for the Jewish Diaspora, which Iran targets as part of its broader agenda, encapsulated in its chilling slogan: ‘Death to America, Death to Israel,’ says the writer.