The Amargi Sources: Iran-backed Iraqi Militias Deployed to Crackdown on Protests in Iran

Pro-Iran Iraqi militia fighters linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), known as Hashd al-Shaabi, have entered Iran to support Iranian security forces end the protests and ‘protect the holy sites’, two Iraqi sources confirmed to The Amargi.

According to the sources, Iranian authorities have requested assistance from allied Shiite armed groups in Iraq. PMF fighters began arriving in Iran on January 4 and continued at a rapid pace until January 8. After a short pause, the transfer of forces resumed on January 10 and has continued since.

The deployed forces were mainly from the key Iranian PMF allies Nujaba Movement, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Hezbollah, with an unidentified number entering via the Khosravi border crossing – although one source placed the number of fighters at 2,000. 

Another source speaking to The Amargi on the condition of anonymity, added that in addition to Khosravi, some PMF militants also crossed into Iran through the Mehran border in Ilam province. The source said Ilam and Kermanshah provinces were mainly used as transit points. However, there is no precise information about the number of these fighters or their final destinations

According to available data, a significant portion of the incoming forces were later transported via domestic flights to Iran’s other major cities, including Tehran, Mashhad, and Qom.

Earlier, several media outlets, including CNN, had reported on the transfer of a number of Iran-aligned Iraqi paramilitary group members into the country. Iranian opposition media have also claimed that much of the suppression and killing of protesters was carried out by foreign Shiite militias aligned with Iran. However, the scale and geographic spread of the protests across various parts of Iran, when compared to the number of forces reportedly deployed, does not fully substantiate these claims.

One source told The Amargi that initial indications suggest some of these forces may have been deployed to protect what are described as “holy sites,” though this information has not yet been independently verified.

Data from Flightradar24 shows that since January 6, the number of flights from Najaf to Tehran and Mashhad has increased markedly: at least 15 flights from Najaf to Tehran were recorded on January 7 and 8, while under normal conditions the daily number of flights on this route is usually between four and five.

A similar pattern has also been seen on the Najaf–Mashhad route, where the number of daily flights increased by around two flights per day. This rise in air traffic comes at a time when there are no major Shiite religious holidays that would normally explain such an increase in travel.

Based on the same Flightradar24 data, an increase in flights was also recorded on January 5 and 6 from Kermanshah and Ilam in western Iran to Tehran and Mashhad. These transfers were carried out using domestic airlines, including Sepehran, Iran Air, Mahan Air, Taban Air, and Ava Airlines.

In addition to the recorded flights operated by these airlines, during this period, a number of planes travelled toward western Iran and Iraq without publicly announced destinations. However, due to widespread internet shutdowns, it was not possible to access to detailed flight information between January 8 and January 13, making independent verification of these movements difficult at the moment.

Former Iraqi official Entifadh Qanbar confirmed the deployment of PMF to Iran in a post on the social media platform X. Qanbar also said the Iraqi government bears responsibility for the deployment of “proxy militias who are sent to kill Iranian demonstrators.” 

So far, neither Iraqi nor Iranian officials have confirmed or refuted the recent reports regarding PMF fighters going in Iran.