Fact-Checking | The Islamic Republic Denies Supporting Proxy Groups in Iraq and Syria

The Poligraph website, a fact-checking project of Voice of America, called the Iranian government's denial of its support for militia groups in "Iraq, Syria, and other areas" "clearly incorrect." Poligraph examined the statistics of regional militia groups and the close relationship between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), particularly the Quds Force, in organizing these groups, which are known as the "Resistance Axis." It deemed the Islamic Republic's claim of not being connected to the militias that carried out a drone attack on a U.S. military base in northeastern Jordan as a "lie." At the onset of the attack, the United States attributed the drone strike on the U.S. military base in northeastern Jordan, which resulted in the deaths of three American forces and injuries to over 40 others, to the Islamic Resistance group of Iraq. In the first response, John Kirby, a member of the U.S. National Security Council, stated on February 1 that this group is a cover organization for the militias supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, including Kata'ib Hezbollah. CBS News reported on the same day that the White House approved the Pentagon's retaliatory plan, which includes a series of missile attacks on Iranian personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria. U.S. President Joe Biden also held the Islamic Republic of Iran responsible for this attack, stating, "They provide weapons to those who carried out this attack." Previously, Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, mentioned in a press conference on January 31 that the extent to which the Islamic Republic was aware of this attack "does not matter" in this situation, as the Islamic Republic is responsible for "supporting, financing, and in some cases providing advanced information and military training" to these groups. According to Austin, they are "Iran's proxy groups." However, the Islamic Republic government denied any connection. Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, claimed in a letter to the UN Security Council that there is no "group affiliated with the Islamic Republic or Iranian armed forces" operating "directly or indirectly under the control of the Islamic Republic of Iran or acting on its behalf" in "Iraq, Syria, or elsewhere." However, Poligraph's investigation shows the falsehood of this claim. CBS News reported on January 31 about the military relations between the Islamic Republic and the Resistance Axis, stating that the "United Royal Services Institute," a British defense and security think tank, estimates that there are at least 40 militia groups closely funded and essentially managed by the IRGC. The American publication "Homeland Security Today" reported on January 31 in an analytical report that the militia groups under the control of the Islamic Republic are responsible for more than 3,000 terrorist attacks in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa between the years 2017 and 2023. Additionally, according to the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States, the Quds Force of Iran, which is the IRGC's overseas arm, acts as a point of contact between the Iranian government and its proxy forces, providing them with training, weapons, and funding. Based on joint research by the Financial Times and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a chart of data from 12 prominent militia groups supported by Iran that were active in the Middle East and Africa until the end of September 2023 was presented. This research estimated the total number of fighters from the 12 militias to be between 124,000 and 198,000. The CFR emphasized that in 9 out of 12 cases, Iran's control over the militias is "strong," and in the remaining three cases, it is "moderate." Iraqi and Lebanese Shia fighters make up most of these militias. One of them, Hezbollah, a Lebanese political party and militia group, is notorious for its involvement in terrorist activities. The U.S. State Department estimates that Hezbollah receives $700 million annually from Iran. Tehran also provides about $100 million annually to Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Since the early 1990s, the Islamic Republic has supported and trained violent groups such as Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq, the militia group Saraya al-Shatter in Bahrain, and the Palestinian group Hamas through the IRGC. The U.S., U.K., European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. During the terrorist attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, 1,200 people, including children, women, and the elderly, were killed, and over 240 others were taken hostage. Israel claims that there are still 130 hostages in Gaza, although some may have been killed. The Wilson Center think tank in Washington also reported last September that the Islamic Republic has spent over $16 billion to support Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and proxy militias in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. A spokesman for the Houthis stated that they will not leave the airstrikes by the U.S. and U.K. in Yemen "unanswered." The U.S. military reported the destruction of 12 Houthi drones. Lloyd Austin stated that the attack on the U.S. base in Jordan was carried out by the Islamic Republic's proxy groups. CBS News: The U.S. has finalized plans to attack the Islamic Republic's proxies in Iraq and Syria.