Transcript [00:00] Among the many important side plots or [00:02] sub plots of the war with Iran, one of [00:05] them is becoming more and more [00:07] important, more and more central to the [00:08] whole story, and that is what is [00:10] happening in Iraq. I just made a video [00:12] just the other day about this [00:14] for the Israel 365 news channel. You [00:17] might want to go take a look at that [00:18] one. But in this video I want to go [00:19] through some of the recent headlines [00:21] we're seeing out of Iraq, and we'll [00:23] understand very clearly that this is [00:25] becoming a central story and could have [00:28] massive implications [00:31] for regional relations after the dust [00:34] settles on this war. So, let's get right [00:37] to all of this, okay? So, here's here's [00:40] a few headlines just in the last few [00:41] days. This is from the Palestine [00:43] Chronicle. So, this is a news outlet [00:45] that is aligned with Palestinian [00:47] nationalist interests, with the [00:48] Palestinian Authority, the enemies of [00:50] Israel. [00:51] And look what they This is a headline [00:53] from 2 days ago. Iraq rises against Iran [00:56] war. They They made this a major [00:58] headline. Iraq rises against Iran war. [01:01] Sadr brings crowds into the streets. [01:02] Sadr is a big Shiite leader in Iraq. [01:04] Look at this crowd. Look at this [01:05] picture. [01:06] Mass protests sweep Iraq as [01:08] demonstrators reject the US Israeli [01:11] Israeli war on neighboring Iran. [01:14] Okay? Large numbers of Iraqis gathered [01:17] in Baghdad and several provinces on [01:19] Saturday. That's just 2 days ago. In [01:21] demonstrations rejecting the ongoing US [01:24] Israeli war in Iran responding to a call [01:26] by prominent cleric and political leader [01:29] Muqtada al- Sadr. According to Al [01:31] Mayadeen, [01:32] Al Mayadeen is is an Arabic language [01:36] news outlet. I think it's based in [01:38] Lebanon and it's aligned with the [01:40] Iranian regimes, [01:42] what they call their axis of resistance, [01:44] Hezbollah, Hamas. That's who they're [01:47] aligned with. So, according to Al [01:48] Mayadeen, protesters traveled from [01:50] multiple provinces and remained for [01:52] hours in public squares, [01:54] including Baghdad's Tahrir Square, [01:56] expressing opposition to the ongoing [01:58] military campaign. Crowds were also [02:00] reported in southern cities, including [02:02] Basra, with demonstrators carrying Iraqi [02:05] flags and chanting against US and [02:07] Israeli attacks on Iran. [02:10] Footage published by Reuters showed [02:11] supporters of Sadr filling central [02:13] squares and major streets in Baghdad and [02:16] other cities as demonstrators rallied [02:18] against the ongoing US Israeli assault [02:21] on Iran. This This article's a little [02:22] bit repetitive, isn't it? Um and it then [02:24] it talks about how it's important that [02:26] Sadr was the one who called it. The [02:28] demonstrations appear to be among the [02:30] largest organized protests in Iraq since [02:32] the start of the war on February 28th. [02:34] Earlier protests following the outbreak [02:37] of the war were smaller and often [02:38] limited in scope, with some linked to [02:41] specific factions or taking place near [02:43] sensitive areas. [02:44] But contrast, Saturday's protest drew [02:47] extensive participation from multiple [02:49] cities and provinces, reflecting a [02:51] broader and more coordinated [02:53] mobilization. Regional coverage, [02:55] including Iranian outlets such as [02:57] Tasnim, which is the IRGC's news outlet [03:01] and Press TV, described the [03:02] demonstrations as large-scale [03:04] expressions of solidarity with Iran, [03:07] opposition to US military presence, [03:09] and opposition to US military presence [03:11] in the region. Okay, so that's the [03:13] that's the gist of this, and it's also [03:15] interesting that it's coming from the [03:16] Palestine Chronicle. One of the dynamics [03:19] we need to keep our eye on is the way in [03:22] which [03:23] uh the Palestinian issue has been caught [03:28] between every you know, between the [03:30] different factions here, because they've [03:31] been supported uh heavily by Qatar, [03:34] who's being attacked by Iran. They've [03:36] been supported by other Arab Arab states [03:38] who are being attacked by Iran, but [03:40] they're also, of course, supported by [03:42] Iran. And where they're lining up [03:43] politically, this seems to be an [03:45] indication that they are that they're [03:47] lining up on the Iran side, which could [03:49] get interesting. We also see this [03:51] report. Ayala Yakoubi put this up. Uh [03:54] breaking, hundreds of Iraqi convoys have [03:56] gone into Iran to help the regime [03:58] survive. Okay, so this is [04:01] uh this is video footage of an of an [04:04] Iraqi convoy. [04:08] These are Iraqis heading into Iran to [04:10] help fight. [04:12] Okay, that means Iraqi militias are [04:15] going into Iraqi Shiite militias are [04:17] going into Iran to help the regime. And [04:21] then we have this interesting story, [04:22] which was just uh from uh what was it? [04:25] This is from uh yesterday. Iran says [04:28] Iraqi ships are allowed to use the [04:30] Strait of Hormuz. Hmm. The Iranian [04:32] military said Iraq is exempt from [04:35] shipping restrictions in the Strait of [04:36] Hormuz that have strangled global energy [04:39] flows for weeks. Quote, "Brotherly Iraq [04:42] is exempt from any restrictions we have [04:44] imposed on the Strait of Hormuz." [04:47] Iran's military spokesman said in an [04:49] Arabic language video. The declaration [04:51] has the potential to unleash as much as [04:53] 3 million barrels a day. Very nice. [04:56] Um [04:57] and they call Iraq brotherly Iraq. The [05:01] Iranian statement distinguished [05:04] brotherly Iraq from hostile states that [05:07] Tehran has repeatedly said the Strait is [05:09] closed to. Speaking in Arabic rather [05:12] than Iran's native Persian, the military [05:13] spokesman thanked the Iraqi people for [05:16] their support since the war began. The [05:19] two neighbors have close ties [05:21] thanks in part to their majority Shiite [05:24] Muslim populations. Iraqi militias form [05:26] a key node in Iran's network of regional [05:29] proxies opposed to the US and Israel. [05:31] And Baghdad also relies on Tehran for [05:34] supplies of natural gas. Hmm. [05:37] Fascinating. So, the Iraqis So, the [05:40] Iraqis are now allowed to use the Strait [05:42] of Hormuz because they are brotherly and [05:43] the Iraqi people are supporting the [05:46] Iranian regime. We have Iraqi militias [05:48] going into Iran to fight. We have this [05:51] mass these massive demonstrations. [05:54] Now, [05:55] a few days ago, we have this headline in [05:59] MBN. This is an This is a [06:01] another Middle Eastern news outlet. I [06:03] believe it's actually funded by the [06:04] Americans. Militia drones from Iraq [06:07] threaten new Gulf crisis. The Iraqi [06:09] government fears that its relationship [06:12] with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the [06:14] Gulf states, could enter a phase of [06:16] isolation [06:18] similar to what happened after Iraq's [06:20] invasion of Kuwait in 1990. As [06:22] cross-border attacks carried out by [06:24] Iraqi armed factions linked to Iran [06:27] escalate, signs of crisis are emerging [06:30] between Baghdad and Gulf capitals. Not [06:32] surprising. What are they going to [06:34] They're going to have militias from Iraq [06:36] fighting for fighting for the Iranians. [06:38] Because the Gulf capitals are being [06:40] targeted by Iran. On March 25th, GCC [06:43] countries and Jordan, so the Gulf [06:45] countries and Jordan, issued a joint [06:48] statement. I think it was six nations [06:49] together, calling on the Iraqi [06:51] government to take action against [06:53] attacks launched by pro-Iran factions [06:56] from Iraqi territory. The countries that [06:58] signed the statement threatened [07:00] escalation and noted that their appeal [07:02] to the Iraqi government comes in order [07:04] to preserve fraternal relations. Notice [07:08] the brotherly Iran calls Iraq a [07:10] brotherly nation. [07:12] And now they're calling them fraternal [07:14] relations. Here's the dynamic. Iraq is [07:17] majority Shiite. It's one of only four [07:19] majority Shiite countries in the world. [07:21] Iran is majority Shiite, of course. [07:23] Well, officially it is. Most Iranians, [07:26] from numbers we're seeing, have rejected [07:28] Islam. But let's say Iran is a majority [07:31] Shiite nation, biggest one, obviously. [07:34] And then you have Bahrain, which is [07:36] majority Shiite, but it is governed by [07:39] Sunnis. So, it's it's not really It [07:42] doesn't function as a Shiite state. [07:44] Azerbaijan is majority Shiite, but it's [07:46] it's mainly secular and it's not Arab. [07:49] Okay? Iraq is an Arab state like the [07:52] Gulf states, unlike Iran, but it's a [07:54] majority Shiite state and it's run by [07:56] Shiites. [07:57] Okay? [07:58] So, they call them brotherly, but now [08:01] you have the Arab states appealing to [08:03] their Arab identity and saying we want [08:06] to preserve fraternal relations. The [08:08] faction attacks have placed the Iraqi [08:11] government, which has worked in recent [08:13] years to restore its relations with its [08:15] Arab neighbors, its Arab surroundings, [08:18] it's put it in a difficult position, [08:20] potentially complicating Baghdad's [08:22] diplomacy as it seeks to return to what [08:24] is referred to as the Arab fold. [08:27] According to an Iraqi diplomatic source [08:29] who spoke to Al Hurra, signal that's [08:32] this news outlet, alhurra.com or MBN, [08:35] signals have reached Baghdad from Saudi [08:37] Arabia indicating tighter measures [08:40] against Iraqis wishing to enter the [08:42] kingdom and reduced engagement due to [08:45] what was described as extensive [08:47] influence of armed factions within state [08:49] institutions. The Saudi mission left [08:51] Baghdad on March 17th after a night in [08:54] which the Al Rashid Hotel, where it was [08:56] based, was targeted by a drone. [08:59] Okay, so what you have here is that the [09:01] Arab states in the Gulf are looking at [09:03] Iraq and saying, [09:04] "Dude, [09:06] you have to stop this. You have to stop [09:08] these Iraqi militias. You're aligned [09:10] with the Iranian regime." But let's [09:11] remember, it's not just rogue militias. [09:13] Okay, we'll get into that more in a bit. [09:15] The Iraqi government itself is in this [09:18] balancing act because they like to have [09:20] positive relations with Iran, and [09:22] they're mostly Shiites, and that's why [09:24] their population is so supportive of [09:26] Iran. We also have this headline from a [09:28] few days ago. A worker for a US defense [09:30] contractor was killed in Iraq as [09:33] colleagues say they are pressured to [09:34] stay. It's a very interesting article in [09:36] The Guardian about these [09:38] these US military contractors who have [09:40] these massive contracts supplying all [09:42] kinds of equipment to the Iraqi army, [09:46] and they want their workers to remain [09:49] there because they don't want to lose [09:50] the contract, but the workers are are [09:54] are under threat, and one of them got [09:55] killed. It wasn't an American. There's [09:57] people from other from other countries [09:59] there. Okay. [10:01] And and and let me just say yet again, [10:03] go over to the Israel 365 news YouTube [10:05] channel. Make sure to get all the [10:06] content there. Um and and you definitely [10:09] want to see this video on Iraq. It's the [10:11] most recent video. We posted it [10:12] yesterday. And go into the playlist [10:15] section, find the playlist called the [10:18] Israel, the rise of a regional [10:19] superpower. Six short videos that really [10:22] give you an overview of how Israel's [10:23] position in the world and in the Middle [10:25] East has changed so dramatically since [10:27] October 7th. Um so go ahead and do that. [10:30] Israel 365 news YouTube channel, go [10:32] subscribe and follow all the rest of my [10:35] content there. Okay. [10:38] Uh now [10:40] So those are the headlines I wanted to [10:42] share with you. Now let's pull back the [10:43] camera a bit and really understand what [10:45] we're seeing here with Iraq. [10:48] So [10:50] you now have Iraqi Shiite militias who [10:52] are joining the fight against the United [10:54] States and Israel. And now these [10:56] militias that you hear about, you know, [10:57] these militias crossing the border, [10:59] they vary. Some of them are very old, [11:01] others are more recent. Most of them [11:03] were formed after 2003. [11:06] And the vast majority are pro-Iranian. [11:09] These militia the the the militias. They [11:12] align themselves with Iran's ideology. [11:15] And they kind of serve as proxies. The [11:18] Shiites, as I said, are the largest sect [11:21] in Iraq, making up more than half of the [11:24] population. And that is part of that is [11:26] a big reason why Iran has such influence [11:30] with these militias and with the people [11:33] of Iraq. So you can see this in the [11:35] public demonstrations that we just saw [11:37] with crowds waving flags and expressing [11:39] support for the regime. [11:42] And in other footage, you can see [11:45] in other footage you can see, you know, [11:47] school children [11:49] who are, you know, expressing who are [11:51] who are arriving by bus to take part in [11:53] these big demonstrations. They're [11:55] showing there's this organized support [11:57] for the Iranian regime in Iraq. [12:01] Understand, it's organized. Schools [12:03] getting on buses, going to these [12:04] demonstrations. Now to and and to [12:07] understand this more fully, [12:10] we have to understand the geography. So [12:12] let's take a look at the map here. Map [12:16] map is very important. Map [12:19] and let's make it bigger so that you can [12:21] see better. [12:23] Here we go. Good. Okay, so there's the [12:25] map. [12:28] Now what you see there is that Iraq sits [12:30] directly next to Iran and it borders [12:32] multiple countries across the region. [12:35] And like I said, it's one of only four [12:36] states in the world with a Shiite [12:37] majority. [12:39] And it's sort of unique cuz it's an Arab [12:41] country with a Shiite majority and and [12:44] it's and it's now become one of the main [12:47] areas from which attacks on US positions [12:51] are being launched. But not just on US [12:53] positions, they're launching they're [12:55] launching at all different in the area. [12:57] They're launching drones and missiles. [12:59] Um they're targeting American forces. [13:01] They're targeting Kurdish forces, [13:03] Kurdish elements, as well as other [13:06] actors within Iraq itself. [13:08] And they're also targeting neighboring [13:10] countries, including Syria, Jordan, [13:11] Saudi Arabia, and to a lesser extent [13:13] Israel. [13:15] And we're also seeing the reports and [13:16] images of as I showed you of these [13:19] militia fighters going from Iraq into [13:21] Iran to help the Iranian regime on the [13:23] ground. So you have they're launching [13:25] stuff from Iraq. They're launching [13:26] drones and missiles from Iraq. They're [13:27] also internally attacking American [13:30] positions in Iraq, but they're also [13:32] crossing the border into Iran. [13:35] Um and they also but they've been doing [13:37] this since even before the war. They [13:39] came over to help with the suppression [13:42] of the protest. Iraqi militias played a [13:44] a central role in the slaughter of [13:47] protesters back in January. [13:50] And they've also targeted the American [13:52] embassy in Baghdad and they've launched [13:55] and and and drones like I said at [13:57] American positions. Now to understand [13:59] how the militias operate, it's it's [14:01] important to look at the structure [14:04] of the militias that brings them [14:05] together. So there's a structure, [14:07] there's kind of umbrella organization of [14:09] all the different Iraqi militias and [14:11] it's known as the Popular Mobilization [14:13] Forces or the PMF. That's what we'll [14:15] call it now, the PMF. The PMF was [14:18] established in 2014 [14:20] after ISIS. This is during the heyday of [14:22] ISIS. ISIS had captured large parts of [14:24] Iraq. [14:26] And remember, ISIS was Sunni. So the PMF [14:28] was created [14:30] um following a religious ruling by this [14:34] Shiite Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and he [14:37] called on Shiite volunteers to defend [14:40] the country against ISIS. [14:42] You following? [14:43] You have a Shiite leader [14:45] calls on volunteers and and, you know, [14:48] forming these these some of the militias [14:49] that are had already been formed, some [14:51] of them were formed, but this umbrella [14:53] organization so they'll all join [14:54] together to fight against ISIS. Now at [14:56] the time, it functioned as a [14:58] mobilization framework for local [15:01] militias and it played a major role in [15:04] the fight against ISIS alongside the [15:06] Americans. [15:08] But over time, many of the most powerful [15:10] groups within the PMF became much more [15:14] closely aligned with the Iranian regime [15:16] in Tehran. And today, here's the weird [15:19] situation and it's dangerous. The PMF is [15:22] officially part of the Iraqi state. [15:25] Okay? It's recognized as part of the [15:27] country's security apparatus. This is [15:30] it's similar to the Lebanon situation [15:31] where you have Hezbollah there who's not [15:33] officially part of the state, but [15:35] they're but they're a party in the [15:36] government and they kind of function [15:38] somewhat [15:40] as the Lebanese military and that's why [15:42] the Lebanese army is so weak because you [15:44] have Hezbollah there, but this is even [15:45] more. This is more official. The PMF is [15:48] officially part of the Iraqi state cuz [15:50] when they were putting Iraq together [15:51] after the fall of Saddam and the defeat [15:53] of ISIS and all this stuff, it was much [15:54] easier to bring these militias in to a [15:58] you know, to the security apparatus and [16:00] give them sort of semi-independence [16:02] within the security apparatus than to [16:04] try to disarm them. Uh [16:07] it wouldn't it wouldn't work. So [16:10] the PMF [16:11] is the umbrella organization of all [16:13] these Shiite militias. [16:16] They're but they're also part of the [16:18] state. It's recognized the PMF is [16:20] recognized as part of Iraq's security [16:22] apparatus. It's funded through the Iraqi [16:25] government budget. [16:28] Okay? You you you tracking with me? [16:30] The PMF is funded by the Iraqi [16:32] government. [16:34] At the same time, several of its most [16:36] dominant factions [16:38] maintain independent chains of command [16:41] going all the way back to Tehran. They [16:43] answer to the regime in Tehran. It's a [16:45] totally messed up situation. You have [16:47] Iraqi militias that are fun that are [16:49] paid by the Iraqi government. [16:52] Okay? But take orders in Tehran. [16:55] So the result is a system where you have [16:59] a a state structure with groups within [17:02] it pursuing a different country's goal. [17:06] And obviously that has a lot of impact [17:09] on the chaos in Iraq. [17:12] Now the Iraqi government doesn't really [17:13] have the ability to restrain these [17:15] militias. [17:16] Uh even where they they might have the [17:18] political will, which is questionable. [17:21] The current prime minister is himself a [17:23] Shiite. [17:24] Um even where they have political will, [17:27] the capacity to enforce anything is is [17:29] weak, similar to Lebanon. In practice, [17:32] these militias are determining their own [17:35] operational decisions [17:37] and they are dragging Iraq into this [17:40] war. There's also an additional layer of [17:42] this, okay? This is really important. It [17:44] has to do with the American involvement. [17:46] The United States is deeply involved in [17:48] Iraq. I showed you that news item about [17:50] the military contractors there. American [17:52] forces are still deployed in the [17:54] country. [17:55] The United States has bases there. The [17:57] US continues to provide training and [18:00] equipment and operational support to [18:02] Iraqi security forces. Are you following [18:05] this? [18:06] To people in the PMF. [18:08] And this relationship goes back to the [18:10] fight against ISIS. [18:12] All right, the United States supported [18:13] these these these these militias that [18:16] are now included in the PMF as part of [18:19] the effort to defeat ISIS. And that [18:21] support continues today. On the civilian [18:24] side also, the US assistance to Iraq [18:26] includes economic and humanitarian aid. [18:29] And [18:30] you know, the it's a few hundred million [18:34] dollars annually that the US is giving. [18:36] In in 2023 [18:39] alone, the United States provided around [18:41] 150 million dollars in economic [18:43] development assistance and over 100 [18:46] million dollars in humanitarian support [18:48] to Iraq. On the military side, the US [18:51] continues to fund [18:53] um [18:55] to fund training and equipment and [18:56] equipping programs for Iraqi security [18:59] forces. Hundreds of millions of dollars [19:02] are put to this. [19:04] Is the picture becoming clear? The US is [19:07] actually [19:08] funding these militias [19:11] that are now [19:13] going to Iran to fight against the [19:14] Americans. [19:16] Okay, now beyond direct assistance, [19:18] Iraq's oil revenues [19:21] the main source of government income. [19:23] It's oil revenues are processed through [19:25] accounts connected to the US financial [19:27] system. [19:29] Okay, so [19:30] Washington actually has oversight over [19:32] the flow of money to Iraq. [19:35] So the overall picture is pretty messed [19:38] up. The United States has a military [19:40] presence in Iraq. It supports the Iraqi [19:42] security forces. It provides economic [19:44] and humanitarian aid. [19:47] And it also has oversight to the [19:49] financial infrastructure to that Iraq [19:51] relies on, but at the same time these [19:54] militias operating within Iraq's state [19:57] structure are taking orders from Tehran, [20:00] from the Iranian regime, and are [20:01] actively participating in the war [20:04] against the United States. These two [20:06] realities are existing side by side and [20:08] they're playing out in real time [20:11] as this war continues to expand. So, [20:14] that is the messed up situation in Iraq. [20:16] People need to know about this. [20:20] Especially if you're an American and [20:22] you're like, "What on Earth? Where are [20:23] dollars going?" You know, people [20:25] complain about money going to Israel. My [20:27] God, you're spending hundreds of [20:28] millions of dollars on a country that is [20:32] literally at war with the United States [20:34] right now. And And you know, if you [20:36] bring in all the issues that I raised [20:38] about the about the Gulf states and the [20:39] Saudis and the Jordanians waving their [20:42] finger at uh [20:44] at the Iraqis, Iraq is now like [20:47] you know, they're kind of stuck [20:49] because their population is [20:51] overwhelmingly supportive of Tehran. The [20:53] militias that are part of their [20:54] structure support Tehran. The current [20:57] Prime Minister is a Shiite. He's always [20:59] playing this double game, but he has [21:01] he's been proud of the fact that he's [21:03] he's brought warmer relations between [21:05] Baghdad and Tehran. [21:07] And meanwhile, they're supposedly in the [21:08] American orbit. [21:11] And what's going to happen when the dust [21:12] settles on this war? What What's going [21:13] to happen if the Iranian regime falls? [21:15] As you see, they're worried about [21:16] isolation. They should be worried about [21:18] isolation. How do you think the Gulf [21:20] states and the Saudis and all the other [21:22] Arab Sunni countries are going to look [21:24] at Iraq if they fought alongside if they [21:26] supported if the Iraqi people who are [21:29] these Shiites were supporting the Tehran [21:31] regime. They're going to be very [21:32] diplomatically isolated. Going to make [21:34] life very difficult for them. They're [21:36] still strategically important because of [21:37] their place on the map. [21:39] They still have some assets, [21:41] but they are they're not doing great. [21:44] And the same goes for the Palestinians. [21:46] As I mentioned, the Palestinians have [21:47] been have been really uh [21:50] taking the side of Iran in a lot of [21:51] their messaging. [21:53] So, yeah, we're going to keep watching [21:54] the situation. I hope you found this [21:55] video interesting. I think this is a [21:57] very important aspect of the war that [21:59] not enough people are talking about. So, [22:00] please share this video. Uh just tell [22:03] people about what we're doing on this [22:04] channel. I'm trying to keep you as [22:06] informed as possible about everything [22:07] going on in this war. Uh so, stay tuned [22:10] for more. [22:11] God bless.
