By Al-Fassel | 2024-06-27

The United States on June 17 designated Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya as a terrorist organization, and its leader, Haydar Muzhir Malak al-Saidi (aka Haydar al-Gharawi), as a terrorist.

The Iraq-based, Iran-aligned militia is part of the so-called "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" (IRI) -- an umbrella group comprised of multiple Iran-aligned armed factions.

Iran has a long history of using little-known "smokescreen" militias to conceal its role in attacks.

For its part, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya "has publicly threatened to continue attacking US interests in the region," and "terrorized the Iraqi people," the US State Department said in a statement.

In addition to Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, IRI members include prominent Iran-aligned Iraqi militias Kataib Hizbullah and Harakat al-Nujaba, both of which have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States.

Attacks by these groups threaten lives and harm Iraq's reputation and economy.

Iraq has been witnessing a relative period of calm and growth in recent months, and the destabilizing activities of Iran-aligned militias, particularly Kataib Hizbullah and Harakat al-Nujaba, can potentially affect much-needed foreign investment, observers warn.

Kataib Hizbullah's actions "always harm the country's stability and prosperity," Baghdad resident Hatem al-Mashhadani, 55, told Al-Fassel earlier this month.