[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Senior leaders of the pro-Iranian militia groups within Iraq's Shia militias have recently held a meeting in Iran. This is interpreted as a move to coordinate the future direction of anti-American resistance and upcoming activities. Their actions are expected to impact the future relationship between the United States and Iraq.
According to Al Jazeera on the 20th (local time), senior leaders of Iraq's Shia militias met on the 13th (local time) in the religious city of Qom, Iran. Muhammad Mohi, spokesperson for Kata'ib Hezbollah, one of the Shia militia forces in Iraq, stated, "We gathered to discuss the future direction of Shia militia activities and resistance against the U.S." He added, "The United States will continue to remain in Iraq and confront us. Therefore, it is necessary to coordinate future activities within the Shia militias."
Al Jazeera also reported that this meeting was held at the request of Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Al-Sairoon faction, which holds the most seats in the current Iraqi parliament. Al-Sadr is known as the most influential Shia cleric in Iraq and is regarded as having strong anti-foreign and nationalist tendencies. It has not been confirmed whether the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which directly supports the Shia militias, attended this meeting.
Following the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane and the responsibility borne by the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the mistaken shootdown, the IRGC has been unable to take a leading role for a considerable period. This has led to speculation that Iraq's Shia militias may independently carry out armed activities against the U.S.
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