Latest news with #HashedAlShaabi
Arab News
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Iraq divided over future of pro-Iran armed alliance
BAGHDAD: A bill in Iraq that would further formalize the role — and perhaps, the autonomy — of a powerful coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitaries has sparked a heated debate, fanned in part by US pressure. Few details of the bill that could decide the future of the Hashed Al-Shaabi alliance have been made public. Formed in 2014 when Iraqis were urged to take up arms against the jihadists of the Daesh group, the Hashed is a powerful force with major military and political clout. The bill aims at regulating and restructuring the alliance of a myriad of armed groups, which together have more than 200,000 fighters and employees. Not mincing words, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the proposed legislation 'would institutionalize Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq's sovereignty.' An Iraqi government official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said opponents of the bill say it 'seems to establish something similar to the Revolutionary Guards' in Iran — a powerful military force imbued with the Islamic republic's ideology. The aim, according to political scientist Renad Mansour, is to integrate the Hashed 'even more into the state.' 'Some argue that this is an important first step, because it's better to have them in this system than outside the system, where they could be spoilers,' said Mansour, a senior research fellow at Chatham House think tank. But others, he added, 'argue that this is a further way for the Hashed to consolidate its power,' giving the alliance 'access to greater funds, greater intelligence, and other kind of equipment and technology.' The debate around the bill comes at a time of heightened regional tensions and upheavals, as the Gaza war reverberates across the Middle East. Iranian allies and proxies have been weakened in wars with Israel, which has Washington's backing. In Lebanon, Tehran-backed group Hezbollah faces a government push to disarm it by the end of the year. In recent years, the Iraqi armed factions have seen their clout grow, with some gaining seats in parliament and in government, even as several group leaders — including the Hashed's top commander — have been subjected to US sanctions. In 2022 the coalition was granted a public works enterprise, Al-Muhandis, with capital worth tens of millions of dollars. Responding to Washington's concerns, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has defended the proposed bill as 'part of the government's broader security reform agenda.' The Hashed 'is an official Iraqi military institution operating under the authority of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces,' Sudani said. A 2016 law already affords the Hashed the status of a public body. But some factions face accusations of collecting government salaries for their fighters on the one hand, but acting entirely independently of the state on the other. Some of the factions within the Hashed are aligned with Baghdad, while others pledge their allegiance first and foremost to the Tehran-led 'Axis of Resistance.' The latter have in the past launched rockets and explosive-laden drones at US troops stationed in Iraq as part of an anti-jihadist coalition. Mansour said the Hashed was unlikely to morph into something that resembles Iran's Guards. It 'isn't a coherent institution,' he said. 'It has many different groups, many different factions, many different leaders, and they're still fighting with each other.' Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source close to the armed factions told AFP that Shiite Muslim political parties seek a 'special law' that would guarantee the Hashed remains 'an independent military institution, on the same level as the interior or defense ministry.' Sunni Muslim and Kurdish politicians oppose any such move, and even among the Shiites there is no consensus, said the government official. Deputy parliament speaker Mohsen Al-Mandalawi said the proposed legislation 'contributes to enhancing the combat capabilities' of the Hashed and to 'creating new formations concerned with developing this security institution,' according to the official Iraq News Agency. If approved, it would pave the way for the creation of a special military academy and secure the Hashed's 'financial independence,' according to a parliament report published by state media. According to the report, the Iraqi state council noted the 'bloating' of administrative structures, and opposed the creation of such an academy for the Hashed instead of using existing defense ministry facilities. But with legislative elections coming up in November, the former paramilitaries may seek to seize on the chance to gain institutional recognition. The Hashed 'needs something to reinvigorate its base,' said Mansour. 'The more the Hashed is institutionalized, the more access it has to Iraq's wealthy state coffers,' he added. 'This could become another mechanism for patronage.'
The National
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Drone carrying explosives shot down near Iraq's Erbil airport
A drone laden with explosives was shot down near Erbil airport in northern Iraq late on Thursday, the latest in a spate of drone attacks around the country in recent days. The counter-terrorism agency in the Kurdistan region said no casualties or damage had been reported, but the incident, at 9.58pm local time, delayed the landing of one aircraft. It was unclear who was responsible for the attack. Erbil's airport authority said 'flight operations continued normally and the airport was not affected by any damage'. The National has contacted authorities in Erbil for further comment. Erbil is the capital of Iraq's three-province Kurdistan region. The airport often comes under attack as it hosts an American airbase with hundreds of military personnel. The US usually blames such incidents on Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Iranian proxy groups have frequently threatened to expand attacks on US bases in the region. In recent days, drone and rocket attacks have been reported in several areas of Iraq, including drones that landed in open spaces. Earlier on Thursday, an explosive-packed drone fell near Kirkuk airport, which was also struck on Monday by two rockets, a senior security official told news agency AFP. Kirkuk airport hosts Iraqi army units, federal police and the Hashed Al Shaabi, a coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitary forces now integrated into Iraq's regular armed forces. On Tuesday, Iraq's anti-aircraft defence engaged at least one drone near the key oil refinery of Baiji in Salaheddin province. The incidents follow a 12-day aerial war between Iran and Israel that killed hundreds of people. During the war, several radar systems in Iraq were attacked by unidentified drones targeting military bases. Dozens of drones and missiles were seen flying through Iraqi airspace. One drone hit a radar system at Al Taji military base, north of Baghdad. Another drone attacked the radar system at the Imam Ali airbase in the southern Dhi Qar province, according to the government in Baghdad. Iraq has long been a battleground of drone and rocket attacks and has proved fertile ground for proxy wars. The country has only recently regained a semblance of stability after decades of devastating conflicts and turmoil.
Al Arabiya
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Rockets fired at Iraq airport, two wounded: Security official
Two rockets struck the military section of Kirkuk Airport in northern Iraq late on Monday, slightly wounding two security personnel, a senior security official told AFP. Another rocket fell on a house in the city of Kirkuk, causing material damage. 'Two Katyusha rockets fell in the military section of Kirkuk Airport,' slightly wounding two security personnel, the official said, requesting anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media. One rocket did not explode, according to the official. 'A third rocket struck a house in the Uruba neighborhood,' causing material damage, the source added. The military sector of Kirkuk's airport includes bases for the Iraqi army, the federal police, and the Hashed al-Shaabi, a coalition of former pro-Iranian paramilitary forces now integrated into the regular armed forces. A security source told the official INA news agency that two rockets struck the military airbase at Kirkuk Airport, one of which fell near the runways, and another hit a house in the city. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks. Iraq has long been a battleground of drone and rocket assaults and a fertile land for proxy wars. But it only recently regained a semblance of stability after decades of devastating conflicts and turmoil. Last week, hours before a ceasefire ended the 12-day Iran–Israel war, unidentified drones struck radar systems at two military bases in Baghdad and southern Iraq. The government said it launched a probe into the drone attacks, but it has not yet identified any perpetrators.
