Iran’s Resistance Axis Rattled by Divisions: Asaib Ahl al-Haq’s Leader Rejects the Ceasefire in Iraq
Publication: Terrorism Monitor Volume: 19 Issue: 3
AAH Leader Qais al-Khazali (source: timesofisrael.com)
On December 20, 2020, 21 Katyusha rockets struck the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, breaking an Iranian-sponsored ceasefire in Iraq for a second time (U.S. Central Command, December 23, 2020). The Iraqi security forces later arrested a member of the Iraqi political and militant organization Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), Hussam al-Azirjawi, after finding conclusive evidence of his involvement in the attack (al-Hurra, December 26, 2020). Following al-Azirjawi’s arrest, multiple widely-shared clips on social media appeared to show a large mobilization of armed AAH militants in East Baghdad. A further clip showing masked AAH gunmen threatening to attack Iraqi security forces on command from AAH leader, Qais al-Khazali (al-Arabiya, December 25 2020). These arrests and video clips reveal t
Published date: 2 January 2021 18:12 UTC | Last update: 2 months 2 weeks ago
With the famed Quds Force leader gone, Tehran is embarking on a complete overhaul of its Iraqi paramilitaries. If it succeeds, a two-headed dragon will emerge
To say that Iraq s Shia leaders are disappointed in the man who replaced Qassem Soleimani is an understatement. They are shocked.
Soleimani, the top Iranian general who was killed in a US drone strike on 3 January, 2020, moved among them with ease. He knew each leader, commander and many of their subordinates personally. Their bond, forged over decades, was renowned.
Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the new commander of the Quds Force, Iran s elite unit tasked with overseas operations, boasts none of the same qualities and appears uninterested in replicating them.