Iraq ↔ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Relations (1)

cross_type 3.00 — strongly supporting 7 facts

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei exerts significant influence over Iraq through his foreign policy of funding and weaponizing proxy networks [1] and maintaining direct loyalty from several prominent Shia militia groups operating within the country [2], [3]. Furthermore, Khamenei views Iraq as a critical component of Iran's 'strategic depth' for regional security [4], and his loyalists constitute a major faction within the Iraqi Hashd al-Sha’abi umbrella organization [5], [6].

Facts (7)

Sources

War by Proxy: Iran's Growing Footprint in the Middle East - CSIS csis.org CSIS 4 facts

accountThe Hashd al-Sha’abi is an umbrella organization of Shia militias in Iraq comprising three main groups: those loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, those loyal to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and those loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr.

claimThe Hashd al-Sha’abi is an umbrella organization of Shia militias in Iraq composed of three main groups: those loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, those loyal to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and those loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr.

claimShia militia groups in Iraq loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei include the Badr Organization, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Kataeb Sayed al-Shuhada, and Harakat Hizbollah al-Nujaba.

claimShia militia groups in Iraq loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which maintain a close relationship with the IRGC-QF, include the Badr Organization, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Kataeb Sayed al-Shuhada, and Harakat Hizbollah al-Nujaba.

After Khamenei: Regional Reckoning and the Future of Iran's Proxy ... stimson.org Stimson Center 1 fact

claimA cornerstone of Ali Khamenei's foreign policy was the formation, funding, and weaponization of proxy networks in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and Gaza.

The Limits of Iran's Proxy Empire | The New Yorker newyorker.com The New Yorker 1 fact

claimIran's allied militias in Iraq are fragmented, with smaller militias joining the war for ideological reasons and to avenge the death of Ali Khamenei.

A Status Quo Power in a Changing Region: Iran's Regionalism in ... cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 1 fact

perspectiveIranian leader Ali Khamenei has frequently highlighted the Levant and Iraq as Iran's 'strategic depth,' which are crucial for shaping regional security arrangements and opposing US-led regional orders.