Iran Deploys Iraqi Militias to Crush Nationwide Protests Amid US Warnings
Iran reportedly deploys Iraqi Shia militias to suppress ongoing anti-regime protests.
Iran has reportedly deployed Iraqi Shia militias to assist in suppressing nationwide protests against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, according to eyewitness reports and American media outlets. The militias, disguised as religious pilgrims, are said to be entering the country in organized convoys of buses carrying young Iraqi men.
Among those recruited is Mohammed Iyad, a 37-year-old Iraqi, whose mother confirmed he was offered $600 a month by the Iraqi Hezbollah group to join Iran’s security operations. Iyad, previously part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, reportedly crossed the border on January 6 via the Shalamcheh crossing, and his family has since lost contact due to internet shutdowns in the area.
Border officials have reported unusual activity, noting that buses carrying young men in identical black shirts departed without proper inspection, raising concerns about Iran’s covert mobilization of foreign fighters. According to Ali D, an Iraqi Interior Ministry employee at the Shalamcheh crossing, more than 60 buses, each with a 50-person capacity, were involved in transporting these fighters.
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The Imam Ali Brigades, part of the Iran-backed Iraqi PMF, have also publicly posted videos of military vehicles leaving Iraqi government camps, signaling coordination in support of Iran’s crackdown. While independent verification is limited, opposition figures and protest eyewitnesses have confirmed the presence of Iraqi militias, many speaking Arabic with an Iraqi accent, at demonstrations and guarding official sites.
The United States has expressed alarm over Iran’s use of foreign militias against its own citizens. The US State Department condemned the deployment as a “profound betrayal of the Iranian people,” highlighting Tehran’s expenditure of billions on proxy forces while targeting domestic protesters.
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump claimed that executions of Iranian protesters have been halted, though he provided no evidence. His comments come amid ongoing international scrutiny and warnings as Tehran signals plans for fast trials and harsh penalties against those involved in the unrest.
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