Iran transferred ballistic missiles to Shiite militias in Iraq, report says

Iran replenished the arsenals that Shi’ite militias in Iraq lost due to recent airstrikes, according to an Arabic news outlet report.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran has transferred dozens of ballistic missiles to Shi’ite militias based in Iraq as compensation for weaponry they lost in recent attacks.

Israel Hayom reported that the Arabic-language version of the Independent says that the missiles were transferred over a crossing that had been closed for years between Iran and Iraq.

However, the umbrella group representing Shi’ite militias in Iraq denies that its member groups received missiles to make up for lost arsenals due to attacks.

The group also denied reports of two recent attacks by local Iraqi news which said  two Shi’ite bases were struck in Anbar province.

Israel has been blamed for previous attacks in Iraq. Most recently, Israel was held responsible for a Sept. 18 airstrike against Shi’ite militia positions in the Syrian city of Al-Bukhmal near the Iraqi border.

Iraq’s government has denied reports that it has turned to Moscow for anti-aircraft systems to defend itself against such attacks.

According to a Voice of America report on Monday, “pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq known as Popular Mobilization Forces are becoming bolder.”

It reported that the militias have even called for the creation of their own air force. It said that demand came from the militias’ top commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, after the airstrikes, for which no one has taken official responsibility, damaged several of its bases.

Shi’ite militias in Iraq were originally formed to fight ISIS, which Iran considered an enemy. ISIS views Shi’ites, who follow a certain branch of Islam, as infidels.