Latest news with #Al-Askari
Shafaq News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah rejects disarmament: Weapons for Imam Mahdi
Shafaq News – Baghdad The Iraqi Resistance will never surrender their weapons except before Imam Mahdi — a revered figure in Shiite Islam believed to be the awaited redeemer who will one day establish global justice — a senior commander from the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah declared on Saturday. In a statement, Abu Ali Al-Askari, the group's security official, condemned what he described as 'cowards echoing Zionist-American demands' to dismantle resistance arsenals across the region, arguing these weapons had defended Iraq and its holy sites against extremist forces, which he blamed on 'American-backed Saudi Wahhabi takfiri gangs.' 'These weapons are a sacred trust for Imam Mahdi, safeguarded by the mujahideen defending Iraq's sanctities,' Al-Askari emphasized, insisting that only the Imam could authorize their surrender. He also dismissed calls to disarm as 'the lowest insult,' urging followers to focus instead on confronting American and Turkish forces in Iraq. Al-Askari also reminded supporters of the massacres committed by ISIS in 2014, crediting resistance fighters for stopping its advance and pledging they would continue to protect the country. About the Iraqi Resistance A term typically refers to an umbrella of Iran-aligned armed factions that emerged following the US invasion in 2003 and gained further prominence during the war against ISIS. These include groups such as Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades, many of which are formally integrated into the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) while maintaining separate chains of command and ideological alignment with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Shafaq News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
+8,000 factories fuel Baghdad's pollution
Shafaq News/ Nearly 8,000 industrial facilities in Baghdad are contributing to rising levels of air, water, and soil pollution, Iraq's Environment Minister Halo al-Askari reported on Monday. Speaking during Iraq's first Environmental Police Conference, held in Baghdad, Al-Askari attributed the capital's worsening environmental conditions to expanding industrial activity and rapid urban growth. He also recalled the October 2024 pollution crisis in Baghdad, when the Environment and Interior Ministries—alongside the Environmental Police—intervened to curb unregulated practices, emphasizing the need for sustained monitoring, faster detection of violations, and firm closure of unlawful operations that threaten public health and natural ecosystems. Meanwhile, Interior Ministry Undersecretary for Federal Security Affairs, Lt. Gen. Samko Nadhim Amin, delivering remarks on behalf of Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari, described the Environmental Police Directorate as a core component of the ministry's pollution control, reiterating its support for enhancing the directorate's capacity and expanding cooperation with other institutions.
Memri
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Abu Ali Al-Askari Of The Iraqi Hizbullah Brigades: 'America's Bases Will Be Akin To Duck-Hunting Fields, Straits Of Hormuz And Bab Al-Mandab Will Be Closed, Oil Ports In Red Sea Will Be Halted'
On June 20, 2025, Abu Ali Al-Askari, a senior official of the Iran-backed Iraqi Hizbullah Brigades, issued a stern warning to the United States, threatening significant repercussions should the U.S. engage in military conflict in the region. The statement, delivered with religious invocations, underscored the group's readiness to counter American interests and promised devastating economic and strategic losses.[1] "U.S. Intervention Will Trigger Financial Losses" Al-Askari warned that any U.S. military involvement would lead to catastrophic financial consequences, suggesting a coordinated strategy has been put in place to undermine U.S. economic ambitions in the region, invoking a Quranic phrase to emphasize the certainty of their commitment: "We reaffirm, with utmost clarity: if the United States enters the war, the fool Trump will lose all the trillions he dreams of seizing from the region. Operational plans have been set for this, and 'that is a promise not to be belied.'" Targeting U.S. Bases And Regional Chokepoints He also threatened to transform U.S. military bases into vulnerable targets and disrupt critical regional infrastructure. "Without a doubt, America's bases in the region will become akin to duck-hunting fields, the Strait of Hormuz and Bab Al-Mandab will be closed, and oil ports in the Red Sea will be halted, not to mention the surprises that may befall its aircraft in the skies." Quoting the Quran, he added, "For the like of this, let the workers work," signaling the group's readiness to execute these plans and disrupt U.S. operations comprehensively. On June 19, Al-Askari, published a statement claiming that Iran has "the necessary capabilities to withstand and continue launching missiles of various ranges and technologies at the usurping entity, at the same pace for more than a year. He added that if the U.S. joins the conflict, it will result in the destruction of the region and "may even deprive the thief Trump of the trillions he dreams of in the region."
Iraqi News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah threatens US bases, Strait of Hormuz if US joins Iran-Israel war
Baghdad ( – The spokesperson for Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, Abu Ali Al-Askari, issued a series of direct threats on Thursday (June 19, 2025), warning of severe consequences should the United States join Israel in the ongoing war with Iran. In a statement, Al-Askari declared that if Washington enters the conflict, the American bases in the region will become like duck hunting grounds. He further threatened the closure of two of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. Al-Askari also warned that oil ports along the Red Sea will stop working, and hinted at unexpected surprises that may await their planes in the sky. He stated that operational plans have been prepared and claimed that if the US intervenes, the crazy Trump will lose all the trillions he dreams of seizing from this region.' This declaration from a powerful Iran-aligned Iraqi militia significantly raises the stakes of the regional conflict, threatening to disrupt global energy supplies and directly target US military assets if the war expands.
Memri
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq: U.S. Agents, Bases In Iraq Not Safe; Iran Has Missile Arsenal Sufficient For Year Of Attacks Against Israeli, American Targets
On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike on Iran, targeting its nuclear program and military Leaders. Subsequently, Iran launched several retaliatory missile barrages at Israel, killing over 20 Israeli civilians and wounding hundreds, while causing damage to residential areas and military sites. In response to the escalation, Iran-backed militias in Iraq issued statements threatening U.S. bases and interests in the region. On June 18, the Iran-backed Zulfiqar Forces militia extended condolences to Iran, "the martyrdom" of leaders, scholars and citizens, adding that the Iranian nation is invincible and will emerge victorious "in the field of jihad" and every Muslim domain.[1] Asserting that "we are at peace with those who are at peace with the Islamic Republic and at war with those of fight it," the statement claims that "the temporary entity" [i.e. Israel] and its allies "are dragging themselves into the abyss" because "we make the blood of our martyrs fuel for us [to continue] the war." The statement further asserts that Israel does not realize who it is fighting against, and recommends going back in history "and look[ing] at who defeated you in Khaybar and the Trench." The group adds that it does not fear the threats of Israel or "the criminal" Trump against Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, threatening: "Every one of us is a potential martyrdom-seeker, and neither your bases nor your agents in Iraq will be safe […] the hour of retreat has passed, and there is no time to escape." On June 19, senior commander of the Iran-backed Iraqi Hizbullah Brigades militia, Abu Ali Al-Askari, published a statement on his Telegram channel in Farsi, accompanied by an Arabic translation, condemning Israel and the U.S. for the escalation against Iran.[2] Al-Askari claims that Iran has "the necessary capabilities to withstand and continue launching missiles of various ranges and technologies at the usurping entity, at the same pace for more than a year. As for the shorter-range missiles, they are several times that number, enabling them to target the entire American presence and interests in West Asia." The commander adds that if the U.S. joins the conflict, it will result in the destruction of the region and "may even deprive the thief Trump of the trillions he dreams of in the region." Regarding the direct threats against Iraq, Al-Askari vows that "these fantasies will not deter the mujahideen from their fundamental cause, nor will they distract them from supporting the front of truth." He dismisses the threats as something that children and women can combat, stating: "We will refer these types of threats to the Boy Scouts and the Zainabiyat Sisters, so that they can be addressed appropriately." Over the course of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, in which the U.S. has threatened to intervene in favor of Israel, multiple Iran-backed Iraqi militias and Telegram channels supporting them have released statements and posts condemning Israel's attacks on Iran and threatening to attack Israeli and U.S. targets in the Middle East.[3]
