Report: Iranian influence on Iraqi Shia militia increasing

A report issued by the Turkish Centre for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM) said yesterday that there has been an increase in Iran’s influence on Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Crowd, pro-government forces, despite being created to support Iraq’s security forces.

The report entitled “A New Controversial Actor in Post-ISIS Iraq: Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi [The Popular Mobilisation Forces]”, prepared by ORSAM researcher Belgay Duman said that “Popular Mobilisation Crowds, made up mainly of Shia militias, have begun falling under Iranian influence”.

The report pointed out that the Popular Mobilisation Crowd also includes Sunni groups and that most of these groups have either worked with the Iraqi army in the past or cooperated with it in one way or another.

The report stated that the groups making up the Popular Mobilisation Crowd fight separately and fly their own flag and it is difficult for the Iraqi government to control them, despite its attempts.

The report included the names of 43 armed groups who fight under the umbrella of the Popular Crowd, noting that a majority of them receive support from Iran and have become somewhat controlled by it.