It is no secret that the Iranian regime uses, and has been using for many years, terrorist proxy groups and militias the whole way across the Middle East. It has backed, funded and supported a number of attacks carried out by Iraqi Shiite militants. It has also armed many Sunni extremists.
Prosecutors now need to ensure that it is clear that Iran responsible for a number of attacks. And to make sure that there is no room for reasonable doubt.
Iran drew the United States into the Iraq conflict. American troops were faced with a number of obstacles, not least EEPs – explosively formed penetrators – that were able to get through the armour on their tanks after being employed by both Sunni and Shiite militants. These devices came from Iran.
Four American soldiers were kidnapped and eventually killed by Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq in 2007 during a raid on the Karbala coalition headquarters. This Iraqi militia was set up by the Iranian regime’s notorious Qassem Soleimani.
Leaders and affiliates of Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq were captured after the raid and it has since become known that members of the group confirmed that Soleimani was in charge of getting funds and weapons to militants. Qais Al-Khazali, with links to the group, said that Iran’s goal is to “destroy the Americans”. He said that the regime’s tactics included advancing its goals in the background while the United States and Iraq were fighting each other in the forefront.
Iran, for so many years, has got away with its bloody interventions in the Middle East and its impunity should not be allowed to continue. It has been involved in a number of atrocities in the region, including in Iran itself.
In 1988, the Supreme Leader at that time issued a fatwa calling for the execution of political prisoners. Around 30,000 prisoners, most of whom were affiliated with the main opposition to the regime, were murdered. To this day, the Iranian regime has not been held accountable for this crime against humanity. And to make the situation even more difficult to digest, many of the members of the so-called “death commissions” rose through the ranks of the regime to hold significant responsibility, including – ironically – the position of justice minister. One was even a presidential candidate that lost to Rouhani.
Iran’s role in Iraq is very worrying because its allies have won parliamentary seats and are involved in allocating government positions. However, it is encouraging that there are a number of trials going on in the United States examining the role of Iran in Middle Eastern politics and affairs. It was wrong for international players to let Iran expand in the first place and it is time for action to be taken to stop the regime and its proxies from infiltrating more foreign systems.
