Kataib Hezbollah

Iraqi-based Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah offers to ‘buy’ weapons from other militias

Kataib Hezbollah is sanctioned by the US as a terrorist group and is behind numerous killings and kidnappings; now it wants even more weapons.

Fighters lift flags of Iraq and paramilitary groups, including al-Nujaba and Kataib Hezbollah, during a funeral in Baghdad for five militants killed a day earlier in a US strike in northern Iraq, on December 4, 2023.
Members of the Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah attend the funeral of their members, who were killed in an airstrike that targeted a Hashd al‑Shaabi headquarters near the western al‑Qaim district on the Syrian border, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 2, 2026.

Are Iranian-backed militias in Iraq really ready to hand over weapons? - analysis

MOHAMMAD BAQER Saad Dawood Al-Saadi standing in front of an array of machineguns in a conference room.

Iranian regime operative who directed wave of Ashab al-Yamin attacks on Jewish targets indicted

PROTESTERS MARCH at a rally marking Al-Quds Day and opposing the war on Iran and Lebanon in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, March 14, 2026.

Iran allegedly behind Canada attacks on US consulate, synagogue


With an Iranian proxy commander arrested for attacks in the UK, will Starmer respond? - analysis

Al-Saad allegedly orchestrated and posted the HAYI propaganda videos of 18 attacks in Europe, most of which occurred in London over the last two months.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a press conference, following a deal on the Chagos Islands, at a military headquarters in London, Britain May 22, 2025.

US arrests Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah commander wanted for plots against Jews, US interests

On May 15, the US Justice Department announced “the arrest of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national and senior member of Kataib Hezbollah,” the department said.

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi pictured with Qasem Soleimani in a photo from Saadi’s social media.

Iranian-backed militias search Iraq for 'Zionist-American' base in show of force - analysis

Reports of a secret Israeli base in Iraq have now led Baghdad to feel it must do something and stage a show of force, resulting in Iranian-backed militias sending forces to southern Iraq.

Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces stand guard at a military base near the Iraqi-Syrian border in Al-Qaim, west of Iraq on January 23, 2026.

Iraqi PM-designate caught between US endorsement, militia violence - report

The endorsement is contingent on Ali al-Zaidi excluding Iran-backed militias from his potential government, a move that could prompt those militias to fight back.

New Iraqi Prime Minister designate Ali al-Zaidi, uses a phone at his office in Baghdad, Iraq, April 28, 2026.

US offers $10 million for information about three Iraqi militia leaders

On April 24, the United States also offered a $10m. reward for Hishim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, known as Abu Ala al-Walai, the head of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, an Iraqi paramilitary group.

A boy holds an Iraqi flag near the Iranian embassy during a gathering following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, in Baghdad, Iraq, April 8, 2026.

Why the US is standing up to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq - analysis

The US-Iran talks are now tied to wider regional issues. For instance, Iran wanted a ceasefire in Lebanon. The US wants to see Iranian support for proxies ended.

 Iraqi security forces sit on vehicles at a street after an attack by a drone strike on an Iran-backed militia headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq January 4, 2024.

Iran's IRGC Quds Force head Qaani visits Baghdad, meets Shi'ite political, militia leaders - report

Iran's Quds Force head Esmail Qaani visited Baghdad to discuss Iraq's next prime minister and the future of Shi'ite militias amid US sanctions.

IRGC Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani pictured in Tehran, Iran, February 17, 2026; illustrative.

US Treasury goes after Iranian-backed militias in Iraq

Several days ago, the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program announced a $10 million reward for information on Ahmad al-Hamidawi, the leader of the militia Kataib Hezbollah.

A general view of the Treasury Building on day two of a partial government shutdown in Washington, DC, US, February 1, 2026.

US State Dept. offers $10m. reward for Hamidawi, leader of Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia

The US State Department offered up to $10 million for information on Ahmad al-Hamidawi, leader of Kataib Hezbollah, responsible for deadly attacks on US facilities and the kidnapping of US citizens.

Mourners march in the funeral of a Kataib Hezbollah terrorist after a US airstrike on a Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters near the Iraq-Syria border, pictured in Baghdad, March 2, 2026.

Iraq’s militia state: Shelly Kittleson’s kidnapping exposes who runs Baghdad

BEHIND THE LINES: Since October 2023, forces associated with the PMF – that is, affiliated with the government of Iraq – engaged in ongoing attacks against US personnel and positions.

US JOURNALIST Shelly Kittleson is pictured in Baghdad on March 31, shortly before she was abducted. Her disappearance has focused attention on the threat posed by Iran-backed militias and the deteriorating security environment in postwar Iraq.