Commander Defends Foreign Militia’s Presence in Iran
Commander Defends Foreign Militia’s Presence in Iran
TEHRAN (Dispatches) - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s naval force commander Alireza Tangsiri has defended the deployment of foreign militia in Iran’s flood-hit areas after two weeks of silence in the face of harsh criticism by members of Iranian Parliament (Majles )and Iranians on social media.

Tangsiri told IRGC’s Fars news agency on Sunday April 21, “Eight Iraqi Hashd al Sha’bi vessels were sent to help us,” with flood relief.

He further explained: “The commanders of Hashd al-Sha’bi have fought alongside IRGC troops during the war with Saddam Hussain’s Iraq” in the 1980s. “They have had a major part in sorting out the problems caused by floods. Their vessels were efficient.”

However, Tangsiri charged that those who are against Hashd al-Sha’bi’s presence in Khouzestan are either ill-informed or they are linked to strangers.”

The militia are mainly affiliated with the Iraqi Hashd al-Sha’bi and Al-Nojaba groups and the Afghan Fatemiyoun battalions.

Ali Sari, an MP for Ahvaz in Khouzestan told reporters that he was not able to comment on the presence of Iraqi militia and their military equipment in Iran as he was unaware about how they were allowed to enter Iran.