The US again focused on Iran on Wednesday and focused on its resistance axis by designating four Iraq -based militias as foreign terrorist organizations.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the identified groups of Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-awfiya and Kata’ib al-Imam ali-Die were all four previously designated by the Department of Treasury) in 2023.
“Iran-outlined militia groups have attacked attacks on the American embassy in Baghdad and bases that organize us and coalition groups, usually with the help of front names or proxy groups to hide their involvement,” said Foreign Minister Marco Rubio in the statement.
Members of Harakat Al Nujaba, hold a Palestinian flag and other flags during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Baghdad, Iraq, 8 October 2023. (Reuters/Ahmed Saad)
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According to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), the four groups are all supported by Iran and form the core of an umbrella organization that is known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (Iri), known after the Hamas-conducted 7 October 2023, attack on Israel.
The Iri is supposed to be responsible for hundreds of attacks in Iraq, Syria and Jordan, and was behind the murder of three American service members during a drone attack in January 2024 in Jordan.
The American and Israeli national flags burn, as members of Harakat Al Nujaba, gather next to fire during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Baghdad, Iraq, 8 October 2023. (Reuters/Ahmed Saad)
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The four terrorist groups also operate within the popular mobilization forces, a coalition force of largely Shia groups that was formed to combat ISIS by the Iraqi government, but which is also strongly influenced by Iran.
Members of the popular mobilization units, paramilitary troops that are dominated by Iran supported by Iran, hold an Islamic flag in Tikrit, Iraq on 5 April 2015. (Mohammed Sawaf/AFP via Getty images)
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“Tehran relies on these militias to literally have a state within a state in Iraq,” said Ben Taleblu. “Sandwiching of this and other terror groups supported by Iran between Treasury Department [Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons] SDN -Listings and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [Foreign Terrorist Organizations] FTO lists, as the Trump administration previously did with their patron, the IRGC, in term One is the right approach. “
