The U.S. government has escalated pressure on Iran and its regional proxies, officially designating four Iraq-based militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The move underscores Washington’s continued efforts to target Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” across the Middle East.
What Happened
On Wednesday, the State Department announced that Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali were added to the FTO list. All four groups were already classified as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2023.
“These Iran-aligned militia groups have conducted attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and on bases hosting U.S. and Coalition forces, often using front names or proxy groups to mask their involvement,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the statement.
Who Are the Groups?
According to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), the four militias form the core of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) — an umbrella network of Iran-backed factions that rose to prominence after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The IRI has claimed responsibility for hundreds of attacks in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, including a January 2024 drone strike in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members.
Expert Analysis
Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD’s Iran program, told Fox News Digital that the designations build on steps taken during Trump’s first term.
“The Trump administration broke the taboo during term one when it proved it could name, shame, and punish Iran-backed militias in Iraq without the country devolving into civil war,” Taleblu said. “Now in term two, the administration is upping the ante, continuing a campaign of designations against the agents of influence and terror of Iran in Iraq.”
Iran’s Influence in Iraq
The groups operate within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of largely Shia militias originally formed to fight ISIS but heavily influenced by Tehran.
“Iran relies on these militias to literally have a state within a state in Iraq,” Taleblu explained. “Sandwiching these and other Iran-backed terror groups between Treasury sanctions and State Department FTO designations, as the Trump administration previously did with the IRGC, is the right approach.”
This story may be updated with more information as it becomes available.
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