Militia

Spreading Kurdish militant attacks pressure Iran as it navigates fragile US diplomacy - analysis

The clashes appear to have taken place in several towns and cities in western Iran’s Kurdish region.

Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) participate in a military drill in an outpost near Erbil, Kurdistan region of Iraq on January 15, 2026.
Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) participate in a military drill in an outpost near Erbil, Kurdistan region of Iraq on January 15, 2026.

Will Iraq finally help protect Kurdistan's oil fields from drone attacks? - analysis

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a parliamentary session to vote in a new government at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, May 14, 2026.

Iraq in transition: Baghdad pushes weapons monopoly amid reforms - analysis

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.

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


Beware misinformation on Ethiopia's Fano militias and situation in Amhara - opinion

Let’s be clear: there is no existential threat posed by the Federal Government of Ethiopia against the Amhara people, writes the author.

 Amhara is one of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia, containing the homeland of the Amhara people. Previously known as Region 3, its capital is Bahir Dar.

How Iraqi militias siphoned billions from Visa and Mastercard for Iran - WSJ

US and Iraqi authorities revealed a complex scheme involving prepaid cards that funneled illicit funds to Iranian-backed terror militias.

 Members of the Iran-backed Iraqi militias al-Nujaba and Kataib Hezbollah appear in Baghdad on December 4, 2023.

Authorities declare state of emergency in Tripoli, Libya after powerful militia leader assassinated

Clashes erupted between the 444th Brigade and the Stability Support Apparatus, two of the most powerful Tripoli militias.

 Members of Libya's influential militia, the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), pictured in 2022; illustrative.

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.