Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was the emir (leader) of the Afghan Taliban from July 2015 to May 2016 before being killed May 21 by a U.S. airstrike.

Mansour rose to emir following the announcement of the death of the Taliban’s former emir, Mullah Mohammed Omar, on July 30, 2015.Adam Withnall, “Taliban appoints Mullah Omar's deputy Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as its new Afghan leader,” Independent (London), July 30, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/taliban-appoints-mullah-omars-deputy-akhtar-mohammad-mansour-as-its-new-afghan-leader-10427082.html. Mansour’s appointment to the leadership position came amid an internal power struggle between top Taliban leaders, a number of whom backed Omar’s eldest son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, as the successor.Rahimullah Yusufzai, “Amid uncertainty over Mulla Omar’s fate....Power struggle flares up in Afghan Taliban movement,” News International (Karachi), July 27, 2015, http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-38799-Amid-uncertainty-over-Mulla-Omars-fatePower-struggle-flares-up-in-Afghan-Taliban-movement. During his time as leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mansour operated out of Pakistan, and repeatedly rejected peace talks with the Afghan government.Gardiner Harris, “Obama Confirms Death of Mullah Mansour, Taliban Leader, in U.S. Strike,” New York Times, May 23, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/world/asia/obama-mullah-mansour-taliban-killed.html. President Obama, in announcing Mansour’s death, called Mansour a danger to American forces and attributed the deaths of “countless innocent Afghan men, women and children” to the deceased Taliban emir.Gardiner Harris, “Obama Confirms Death of Mullah Mansour, Taliban Leader, in U.S. Strike,” New York Times, May 23, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/world/asia/obama-mullah-mansour-taliban-killed.html.

Like much of the Taliban leadership, little was publicly known about Mansour during his lifetime. He had been described as a “strong and chubby” drug trafficker who had recruited Taliban members and planned attacks in Afghan city centers.“Mansoor, Mullah Akhtar Mohammed,” Afghan-bios.info, last modified March 20, 2015, http://www.afghan-bios.info/index.php?option=com_afghanbios&id=1017&task=view&total=3136&start=1643&Itemid=2; “TI.M.11.01. AKHTAR MOHAMMAD MANSOUR SHAH MOHAMMED,” United Nations Security Council, accessed June 3, 2015, http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1988/NSTI01101E.shtml. Mansour hailed from the influential Ishaqzai clan of the Durrani tribe of Pashtuns in Kandahar province. He suspended his religious training during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan to join the mujahedeen.M Ilyas Khan, “Profile: Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour,” BBC News, May 22, 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34405035. Mansour had reportedly controlled the coordination and placement of suicide bombers in these attacks.“Mansoor, Mullah Akhtar Mohammed,” Afghan-bios.info, last modified March 20, 2015, http://www.afghan-bios.info/index.php?option=com_afghanbios&id=1017&task=view&total=3136&start=1643&Itemid=2. During the Taliban’s rule of Afghanistan (1996-2001), Mansour was the minister of civil aviation and transportation.“The Taliban,” Council on Foreign Relations, accessed April 13, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/terrorist-organizations-and-networks/taliban/p35985?cid=marketing_use-taliban_infoguide-012115#!/; Bill Roggio, “The Afghan Taliban’s top leaders,”Long War Journal, February 23, 2010, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/02/the_talibans_top_lea.php.

International media outlets circulated Mansour’s name in November 2010 when an impostor pretending to be Mansour met with Afghan officials for secret talks. The man reportedly traveled from Pakistan on a NATO aircraft and had three meetings with government officials.Dexter Filkins and Carlotta Gall, “Taliban Leader in Secret Talks Was an Impostor,” New York Times, November 22, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/world/asia/23kabul.html. An anonymous Western diplomat in Kabul told media outlets: “It’s not him. And we gave him a lot of money.”“Taliban impostor ‘dupes Afghans and vanishes with cash’,” BBC News, November 23, 2010, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11818583.

Mansour was killed in southwestern Pakistan, in the country’s Baluchistan province. He was killed while driving in his car, according to Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.Cassandra Vinograd, Fazul Rahim, and Mushtaq Yusufzai, “Afghanistan: Taliban Leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor Is Dead,” NBC News, May 23, 2016, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/afghanistan-taliban-chief-mullah-akhtar-mansoor-dead-n578211.

Maulana Fazlullah was the emir (leader) of the Pakistani Taliban, or Tahrik-e Taliban (TTP). He assumed this position in November 2013 following the death of former TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud in a U.S. drone strike. “Terrorist Designations of Maulana Fazlullah,” U.S. Department of State, January 13, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/01/235901.htm. Fazlullah is reportedly “extremely close” to the Afghan Taliban, and has always been their “preferred” choice of TTP leader.“Profile: Mullah Fazlullah,” BBC News, November 7, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-24847165. Fazlullah died in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan on June 14, 2018.Saeed Shah and Ehsanullah Amiri, “Pakistani Taliban Head Killed by U.S. Airstrike in Afghanistan,” Wall Street Journal, June 15, 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/pakistani-taliban-head-killed-by-u-s-airstrike-in-afghanistan-1529060487?mod=hp_listc_pos2.

According to American journalist Nicholas Schmidle, who met Fazlullah in 2007, the TTP leader was just as much a terrorist as a crusader “bent on imposing his harsh interpretation of sharia on others.” Nicholas Schmidle, “The Ambitions of the Pakistan Taliban’s New Chief,” New Yorker, November 11, 2014, http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-ambitions-of-the-pakistani-talibans-new-chiefhttp://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-ambitions-of-the-pakistani-talibans-new-chief. Schmidle described Fazlullah as an “unremarkable figure: short, with hippo teeth, wavy tresses, and a bulky, black turban.” Nicholas Schmidle, “The Ambitions of the Pakistan Taliban’s New Chief,” New Yorker, November 11, 2014, http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-ambitions-of-the-pakistani-talibans-new-chiefhttp://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-ambitions-of-the-pakistani-talibans-new-chief.

As a young man, Fazlullah joined the Pakistani Islamist group Tehrek-i-Nehfaz Shariat-i-Mohammedi (TNSM) led by Maulana Sufi Mohammed, who mentored Fazlullah and led him into his first battle in Afghanistan in 2001 against the invading American troops.“Profile: Mullah Fazlullah,” BBC News, November 7, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-24847165. Fazlullah rose to prominence in 2006 when he began preaching his version of extremist Islam on stolen FM frequencies in Swat Valley, Pakistan.Abubakar Siddique, “'Radio Mullah’ -- The Pakistani Taliban's New Leader,” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, November 7, 2013, http://www.rferl.org/content/radio-mullah-new-leader/25161547.html. His sermons contained hate speech against Americans, the Pakistani government, female education, and the polio vaccine, which he called a Jewish conspiracy to sterilize Muslims.Asad Hasim, “The iron fist of Maulana Fazlullah,” Al Jazeera, November 8, 2013, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/11/iron-fist-maulana-fazlullah-20131171538269715.html. His radio show and reputation as an Afghan veteran garnered him increased prominence, and he rivaled Sufi Mohammed as the leading jihadist in the valley.Asad Hasim, “The iron fist of Maulana Fazlullah,” Al Jazeera, November 8, 2013, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/11/iron-fist-maulana-fazlullah-20131171538269715.html. In 2007, the TNSM joined the nascent TTP and Fazlullah rose in its ranks.Agence France Presse, “Mullah Fazlullah: Pakistani Taliban's ruthless new commander,” Express Tribune (Karachi), November 7, 2013, http://tribune.com.pk/story/628799/mullah-fazlullah-pakistani-talibans-ruthless-new-commander/.

As both a prominent member and the emir of TTP, Fazlullah ordered numerous terrorist acts, including the 2012 shooting of activist Malala YousafzaiAbubakar Siddique, “'Radio Mullah’ -- The Pakistani Taliban's New Leader,” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, November 7, 2013, http://www.rferl.org/content/radio-mullah-new-leader/25161547.html. and the December 2014 TTP attack on the Peshawar school that killed 148 people, most of them children.“Terrorist Designations of Maulana Fazlullah,” U.S. Department of State, January 13, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/01/235901.htm; John Hall, “'We have killed all the children, now what do we do?': Taliban death squad's frantic request for instructions after slaughtering 132 innocents... as military airstrikes kill 57 in hunt for 'Radio Mullah' who ordered massacre,” Daily Mail (London), December 18, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2878723/We-killed-children-Taliban-death-squad-s-frantic-request-instructions-slaughtering-132-innocents-hunt-begins-Radio-Mullah-mastermind-ordered-massacre.html. Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government later placed a $100,000 bounty on Fazlullah.Agence France Presse, “KP govt offers Rs10mn bounty for TTP's Mullah Fazlullah,” Dawn, January 6, 2015, http://www.dawn.com/news/1155276.

In early 2015, the European Union,“COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2015/576,” Official Journal of the European Union, April 10, 2015, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:JOL_2015_096_R_0003. the United States,“Terrorist Designations of Maulana Fazlullah,” U.S. Department of State, January 13, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/01/235901.htm. and the United Nations“Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds One Individual to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations Security Council, April 7, 2015, http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc11853.doc.htm. designated Fazlullah as a terrorist. On June 14, 2018, a U.S. drone strike targeted Fazlullah in Afghanistan. Afghan officials confirmed the following day that he died in the strike.Saeed Shah and Ehsanullah Amiri, “Pakistani Taliban Head Killed by U.S. Airstrike in Afghanistan,” Wall Street Journal, June 15, 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/pakistani-taliban-head-killed-by-u-s-airstrike-in-afghanistan-1529060487?mod=hp_listc_pos2.

Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli—also commonly known as Abdul Rahman al-Sheijlar, Hajji Iman, Abu Ala Afri, and Abu Ali al-Anbari—was a senior ISIS leader and the reported planned successor to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. His identity has long perplexed authorities and media outlets, who have attributed to al-Qaduli a variety of backgrounds and aliases.—was reportedly ISIS's top financier and the planned successor to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.“ISIL Leader Al-Baghdadi Clinically Dead, Members Pledge Allegiance to Successor,” Fars News Agency, April 26, 2015, hhttp://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940206001017;
“Iranian media: ISIS leader declared ‘clinically dead’ by Israeli doctors in Golan,” Jerusalem Post, April 28, 2015, http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iranian-media-Islamic-State-leader-declared-clinically-dead-by-Israeli-doctors-in-Golan-399410;
Martin Chulov, “Isis leader incapacitated with suspected spinal injuries after air strike,” Guardian (London), May 1, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/01/isis-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-incapacitated-suspected-spinal-injuries-iraq;
“Air raid ‘kills Islamic State’s No 2’,” BBC News, May 13, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32726646; Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister, and Michael Weiss, “Who might lead ISIS if al-Baghdadi dies?,” CNN, May 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/11/middleeast/isis-leadership/;
“Iranian media: ISIS leader declared ‘clinically dead’ by Israeli doctors in Golan,” Jerusalem Post, April 28, 2015, http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iranian-media-Islamic-State-leader-declared-clinically-dead-by-Israeli-doctors-in-Golan-399410; “Islamic State deputy leader ‘killed in Iraq air strike’,” BBC News, May 13, 2015,http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32726646; Tom Coghlan, “Isis deputy leader killed by coalition airstrike in Iraq,” Times (London), May 14, 2015, http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/middleeast/iraq/article4439578.ece. On May 5, 2015, the U.S. State Department posted a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to al-Qaduli’s capture.“Rewards for Justice - Reward Offers for Information on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Terrorists,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/05/241912.htm. The reward was the highest for any ISIS leader after al-Baghdadi.Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister, and Michael Weiss, “Who might lead ISIS if al-Baghdadi dies?,” CNN, May 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/11/middleeast/isis-leadership/. On March 25, 2016, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced al-Qaduli's death as a result of a targeted airstrike earlier that week. According to the Department of Defense, U.S. military personnel had originally sought to capture al-Qaduli, but were ultimately forced to fire on his vehicle instead.Michael S. Schmidt and Mark Mazzetti, “A Top ISIS Leader Is Killed in an Airstrike, the Pentagon Says,” New York Times, March 25, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/26/world/middleeast/abd-al-rahman-mustafa-al-qaduli-isis-reported-killed-in-syria.html.

Numerous reports identified al-Qaduli as a former soldier in Saddam Hussein’s military. According to these sources, al-Qaduli joined the Iraqi jihadist group Ansar al-Islam following de-Baathification in 2003, but was reportedly ejected amid allegations of financial corruption. He subsequently joined al-Qaeda in Iraq—then led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi—where he rose in its ranks to his eventual senior position in ISIS.Siobhan Gorman, Nour Malas and Matt Bradley, “Brutal Efficiency: The Secret to Islamic State’s Success,” Wall Street Journal, September 3, 2014, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-secret-to-the-success-of-islamic-state-1409709762;
“Inside the hierarchy of the Islamic State,” Ynet News, September 20, 2014, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4573040,00.html; Nour Malas, “Islamic State Second-in-Command Killed in Airstrike, Iraq Says,” Wall Street Journal, May 13, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-second-in-command-killed-in-airstrike-1431528722. However, ISIS pundits Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan claimed al-Qaduli was a physics teacher and had been engaged in jihad since the 1980s. According to Weiss and Hassan, al-Qaduli left Iraq for Afghanistan in the late 1990s and returned to northeastern Iraq in 2000 to join the Iraqi Islamist group Ansar al-Islam. He then began an independent Islamist group called Tal Afar in 2003, and joined al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in 2004.Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan, “Everything We Knew About This ISIS Mastermind Was Wrong,” Daily Beast, April 15, 2016, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/15/everything-we-knew-about-this-isis-mastermind-was-wrong.html. The U.S. Treasury claims al-Qaduli served as AQI’s representative to al-Qaeda’s senior leadership in Pakistan.“Treasury Designates Al-Qa’ida Leaders In Syria,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 14, 2014, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2396.aspx.

Some ISIS militants reportedly believed al-Qaduli’s knowledge of Islamic law paled in comparison to that of other senior ISIS leaders, and that he acted mostly as a political “envoy” for the terror group.Siobhan Gorman, Nour Malas and Matt Bradley, “Brutal Efficiency: The Secret to Islamic State’s Success,” Wall Street Journal, September 3, 2014, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-secret-to-the-success-of-islamic-state-1409709762. Al-Qaduli was believed to oversee ISIS’s general security, all the while preaching fervently against Yazidis and the Muslim Brotherhood, which he viewed as apostates.Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan, “Everything We Knew About This ISIS Mastermind Was Wrong,” Daily Beast, April 15, 2016, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/15/everything-we-knew-about-this-isis-mastermind-was-wrong.html. He was reportedly responsible for organizing the rape of Yazidi women and overseeing the deportation of religious and ethnic minorities from ISIS’s territory. Al-Qaduli was also believed to provide council and funds toward launching attacks in the West.Maher Chmayteli, Isabel Coles, and Stephen Kalin, “Islamic State dealt hefty body blow with death of top aide: officials,” Reuters, March 26, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-syria-usa-idUSKCN0WS0FR.

Al-Qaduli’s name began to appear in the media in March 2015 following reports that al-Baghdadi had been injured or killed in a U.S. airstrike.“ISIL Leader Al-Baghdadi Clinically Dead, Members Pledge Allegiance to Successor,” Fars News Agency, April 26, 2015, http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940206001017; “Iranian media: ISIS leader declared ‘clinically dead’ by Israeli doctors in Golan,” Jerusalem Post, April 28, 2015, http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iranian-media-Islamic-State-leader-declared-clinically-dead-by-Israeli-doctors-in-Golan-399410; Martin Chulov, “Isis leader incapacitated with suspected spinal injuries after air strike,” Guardian (London), May 1, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/01/isis-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-incapacitated-suspected-spinal-injuries-iraq. At the time, al-Qaduli was identified as al-Baghdadi’s likely successor.

Iraqi political advisor Hisham al-Hashimi told Newsweek in April 2015 that “All the leaders of [ISIS] find that [al-Qaduli] has much jihadi wisdom, and good capability at leadership and administration.”Jack Moore, “ISIS Replace Injured Leader Baghdadi With Former Physics Teacher,” Newsweek, April 22, 2015, http://europe.newsweek.com/isis-replace-injured-leader-baghdadi-former-physics-teacher-324082. While little was known about al-Qaduli’s background, Newsweek alleged that al-Qaduli favored reconciliation with al-Qaeda and planned to fill ISIS’s leadership with equal numbers of Arab and foreign leaders.Jack Moore, “ISIS Replace Injured Leader Baghdadi With Former Physics Teacher,” Newsweek, April 22, 2015, http://europe.newsweek.com/isis-replace-injured-leader-baghdadi-former-physics-teacher-324082.

Al-Qaduli’s rhetoric and worldview is believed to have made an enormous impact on ISIS’s ideology and strategy.Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan, “Everything We Knew About This ISIS Mastermind Was Wrong,” Daily Beast, April 15, 2016, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/15/everything-we-knew-about-this-isis-mastermind-was-wrong.html. His legacy is expected to live on in the terror group’s exploits. According to U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren, “[Al-Qaduli’s] experience and knowledge will be missed by [ISIS].”Maher Chmayteli, Isabel Coles, and Stephen Kalin, “Islamic State dealt hefty body blow with death of top aide: officials,” Reuters, March 26, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-syria-usa-idUSKCN0WS0FR.

Hadi al-Amiri is the leader and secretary-general of the Badr Organization, an Iranian-sponsored Shiite militia and political party based in Iraq. Susannah George, “Breaking Badr,” Foreign Policy, November 6, 2014, http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/06/breaking-badr/. Al-Amiri has a history of instigating sectarian violence in Iraq. In a period of heightened violence between 2004 and 2006, al-Amiri reportedly ordered attacks on up to 2,000 Sunnis.Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior-minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian-influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html; “Election Law Crisis Fosters Sunni-shia Cooperation,” WikiLeaks, September 1, 2011, https://cablegatesearch.wikileaks.org/cable.php?id=09BAGHDAD3175&q=amiri%20badr%20drill. According to a leaked cable from the U.S. State Department, “One of [al-Amiri’s] preferred methods of killing allegedly involved using a power drill to pierce the skulls of his adversaries.”Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior-minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian-influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html; “Election Law Crisis Fosters Sunni-shia Cooperation,” WikiLeaks, September 1, 2011, https://cablegatesearch.wikileaks.org/cable.php?id=09BAGHDAD3175&q=amiri%20badr%20drill. A U.S. federal indictment has linked al-Amiri to a 1996 attack in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. Air Force servicemen.“Terror Attack Victim ‘Sick’ Over Iraqi Minister Hadi al-Ameri’s Visit to White House,” Fox News Insider, December 16, 2011, http://insider.foxnews.com/2011/12/16/terror-attack-victim-sick-over-iraqi-minister-hadi-al-ameris-visit-to-white-house.

Al-Amiri’s military influence extends beyond the confines of the Badr Organization. He serves as the leader of Iraq’s collective Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of Shiite militias controlled by the Iraqi government.Rod Nordland, “After Victory Over ISIS in Tikrit, Next Battle Requires a New Template,” New York Times, April 7, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/08/world/middleeast/iraq-isis-anbar-sunni-shiite.html. He also wields control over Iraq’s army and police in Diyala province.Ned Parker and Stephen Kalin, “Iraqi commander denies paramilitary groups involved in killings,” Reuters, February 9, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/09/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-amiri-idUSKBN0LD17B20150209; Eli Lake, “Iran's Militias Are Taking Over Iraq's Army,” Bloomberg View, February 3, 2015, http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-03/exclusive-iran-s-militias-are-taking-over-iraq-s-army. Then-Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reportedly entrusted al-Amiri with command over the Iraqi Army’s 20th Battalion, according to the battalion’s commander, General Ali al-Wazir.Ned Parker and Stephen Kalin, “Iraqi commander denies paramilitary groups involved in killings,” Reuters, February 9, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/09/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-amiri-idUSKBN0LD17B20150209; Eli Lake, “Iran's Militias Are Taking Over Iraq's Army,” Bloomberg View, February 3, 2015, http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-03/exclusive-iran-s-militias-are-taking-over-iraq-s-army.

Al-Amiri also serves as the leader of the Badr Organization’s political wing, a party that holds 22 seats in Iraq’s parliament.Patrick Martin, “Analysis of the Badr Organization,” Globe and Mail (Toronto), February 25, 2015, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/analysis-of-the-badr-organization/article23208662/. From 2011 to 2014, al-Amiri served as Iraq’s transportation minister.Hayder al-Khoei, “Decoding Iraq's Sectarian Rivalries: Baghdad's Political Blocs Threaten to Split Apart,” Foreign Affairs, January 31, 2012, http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137064/hayder-al-khoei/decoding-iraqs-sectarian-rivalries. When a lesser-known member of the Badr Organization was elected as Iraq’s interior minister in October 2014, it was widely presumed that al-Amiri would serve as the country’s de facto interior minister.Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior-minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian-influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html.

Today, al-Amiri seeks to rebrand the Badr Organization, casting himself and his organization as a moderate, nationalistic, and inclusive counterweight to violent Sunni terrorist group ISIS. Nonetheless, areas in which the Badr organization has fought ISIS have seen “some of the most high-profile Sunni-Shiite violence of the current conflict,” according to the Washington Post.Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior-minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian-influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html.

While al-Amiri’s political party has sought to downplay its role as an Iranian proxy, al-Amiri himself remains loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader. In early 2015, al-Amiri said of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that he “is the leader not only for Iranians but the Islamic nation. I believe so and I take pride in it.”Ned Parker, Babak Dehghanpisheh and Isabel Coles, “Special Report: How Iran’s military chiefs operate in Iraq,” Reuters, February 24, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-mideast-crisis-committee-specialrepor-idUSKBN0LS0VD20150224. Al-Amiri also retains a strong relationship with Iran and its deceased military envoy to Iraq, Qasem Soleimani.Akbar Shahid Ahmed and Ryan Grim, “What's Wrong With This Picture? For U.S. Fight Against ISIS, Everything,” Huffington Post, November 23, 2014, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/23/obama-isis-iran_n_6165352.html; Susannah George, “Breaking Badr,” Foreign Policy, November 6, 2014, http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/06/breaking-badr/. According to senior Iraqi politicians, al-Amiri is the commander closest to Iran on the battlefield.Ahmed Rasheed and Ned Parker, “Shi'ite militias expand influence, redraw map in central Iraq,” Reuters, December 31, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/31/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-idUSKBN0K909K20141231.

Badr won 22 parliamentary seats in Iraqi elections in May 2018, the same number of seats it won in 2014.Phillip Smyth, “Iranian Militias in Iraq's Parliament: Political Outcomes and U.S. Response,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, June 11, 2018, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/iranian-militias-in-iraqs-parliament-political-outcomes-and-u.s.-response. Al-Amiri sought Iraq’s premiership but withdrew in September 2018.“Iraq Shi'ite paramilitary leader al-Amiri withdraws candidacy for PM,” Reuters, September 18, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-politics-amiri/iraq-shiite-paramilitary-leader-al-amiri-withdraws-candidacy-for-pm-idUSKCN1LY0ST. In April 2019, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi assigned al-Amiri to oversee construction and protection initiatives in Basra’s Majnoon Oil Field.“Hadi al-Amiri appointed “czar” of Basra,” Iraq Oil Report, April 11, 2019, https://www.iraqoilreport.com/news/hadi-al-amiri-appointed-czar-of-basra-39293/. In 2017, al-Amiri began to consolidate the political power of the Shiite militias in a new political alliance.“Hashd commander from Badr Organization to form new alliance for Iraqi election,” Rudaw, February 12, 2017, https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/021220172. In January 2018, the Badr Organization, Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH), and Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) joined with other PMF units to form the Fatah Alliance political party ahead of Iraq’s May 2018 elections.Ahmad Majidyar, “Iraqi Hezbollah calls on Baghdad government to set up US exit timeline,” Middle East Institute, March 6, 2018, http://www.mei.edu/content/io/iraqi-hezbollah-calls-baghdad-government-set-us-exit-timeline. Al-Amiri continues to lead the Fatah Alliance.f="https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/121020212">https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/121020212; “Pro-Iranian groups reject early Iraq election results as ‘scam,’” Al Jazeera, October 12, 2021, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/12/iraqi-pro-iranian-groups-reject-elections-a-scam.

Under al-Amiri’s leadership, the Badr Organization has risen to preeminence in both the military and political spheres. One Iraqi official described the Badr Organization, including leader al-Amiri, as “easily” the most powerful force in Iraq, stronger even than Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.Ned Parker, Babak Dehghanpisheh, and Isabel Coles, “Special Report: How Iran’s military chiefs operate in Iraq,” Reuters, February 24, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-mideast-crisis-committee-specialrepor-idUSKBN0LS0VD20150224. A Human Rights Watch researcher said of al-Amiri that he is “an extremely powerful figure and he’s essentially acting with total impunity now. It’s not really the government leading the militias; it’s the other way around.”“The Battle for Iraq: Shia Militias vs. the Islamic State,” VICE News, February 12, 2015, https://news.vice.com/video/the-battle-for-iraq-shia-militias-vs-the-islamic-state.

Despite’s Badr’s political rise, al-Amiri has maintained his extremist ties. Al-Amiri was photographed outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on December 31, 2019, as protesters threw stones and torched a security post at the embassy, prompting suspicions that he was encouraging the violence. After the attack, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called al-Amiri an Iranian “proxy” aiding terrorists.Barbara Starr, Kevin Bohn, and Ross Levitt, “US strikes 5 facilities in Iraq and Syria linked to Iranian-backed militia,” CNN, December 29. 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/29/politics/us-strikes-iran-backed-militia-facilities-in-iraq-syria/index.html; Ghassan Adnan, Isabel Coles, and Michael Gordon, “Trump Blames Iran After Militia Supporters Try to Storm U.S. Embassy in Baghdad,” Wall Street Journal, December 31, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-attempt-to-storm-u-s-embassy-in-baghdad-11577787978; Seth J. Frantzman, “Pompeo names Iraqi Badr militia leader Hadi al-Amiri as Iranian proxy,” Jerusalem Post, January 2, 2020, https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Pompeo-names-Iraqi-Badr-militia-leader-Hadi-al-Amiri-as-Iranian-proxy-612751. Following the January 3, 2020, deaths of Soleimani and KH leader Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, a.k.a. Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes in a U.S. airstrike, al-Amiri pledged that Badr would join other Iranian-sponsored Iraqi militias in seeking revenge on the United States.Simon Kerr, Chloe Cornish, and Andrew England, “Middle East braced for backlash after killing of Qassem Soleimani,” Financial Times, January 3, 2020, https://www.ft.com/content/52a2fce4-2e0f-11ea-a126-99756bd8f45e; Shelly Kittleson, “Iraqi armed factions vow revenge for Shiite commanders’ killings,” Al-Monitor, January 5, 2020, https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/01/soleimani-assassination-iran-iraq-us-pmu.html.

On October 10, 2021, Iraq held early parliamentary elections, which were marked by a record low voter turnout of 41 percent. Shiite factions won only 14 seats in the elections, dropping from 48 seats in the 2018 election. That evening, leaders of the Iran-backed militias and other Shiite factions met at the home of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki to discuss how to respond to what they call a “British-American plot” and a “coup” by hardline cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose party placed first in the elections.Suadad al-Salhy and Alex MacDonald, “Iraq elections 2021: Shia parties reject results as armed group threatens violence,” Middle East Eye, October 12, 2021, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-elections-shia-parties-reject-results-militia-threatens-violence. The factions reportedly called to “escalate” their activities in Iraq.Suadad al-Salhy and Alex MacDonald, “Iraq elections 2021: Shia parties reject results as armed group threatens violence,” Middle East Eye, October 12, 2021, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-elections-shia-parties-reject-results-militia-threatens-violence. On October 12, al-Amiri rejected the election results on behalf of Iraq’s Shiite parties. He called the results a “fabrication” and threatened to “defend the votes of our candidates and voters with full force.”Dilan Sirwan, “Iraq election results see giant parties fall, unexpected victories,” Rudaw, October 12, 2021, https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/121020212; “Pro-Iranian groups reject early Iraq election results as ‘scam,’” Al Jazeera, October 12, 2021, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/12/iraqi-pro-iranian-groups-reject-elections-a-scam. 

Qais al-Khazali is the U.S.-designated founder and leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), an Iranian-sponsored Shiite militia and political party operating primarily in Iraq.Matthew Hilburn, “One-time US Prisoner Now Key in Battling IS,” Voice of America, last modified March 15, 2015, http://www.voanews.com/content/qais-khazali-onetime-us-prisoner-now-key-in-battling-islamic-state/2679431.html. During the U.S.-led counterinsurgency, Khazali was one of the most wanted men in Iraq.Eli Lake, “Inside Iraq’s Iranian-Backed Militias,” Bloomberg View, February 4, 2015, http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-04/inside-iraq-s-iranian-backed-militias. Khazali’s attacks at the time included a January 2007 attack in Karbala that killed five U.S. soldiers.Sam Wyer, “The Resurgence of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq,” Middle East Security Report 7 (December 2012): 11, http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ResurgenceofAAH.pdf; Iraq Releases Man Held In Slayings of U.S. Soldiers,” CNN, June 9, 2009, http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/09/iraq.prisoner.release/index.html?_s=PM:WORLD; David D. Kirkpatrick, “Shiite Militias Pose Challenge for U.S. in Iraq,” New York Times, September 16, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/17/world/middleeast/shiite-militias-pose-challenge-for-us-in-iraq.html. In March 2007, Khazali was found and captured by coalition forces. He was released in January 2010 as part of an apparent prisoner-hostage exchange.Eli Lake, “Inside Iraq’s Iranian-Backed Militias,” Bloomberg View, February 4, 2015, http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-04/inside-iraq-s-iranian-backed-militias; “Iraq Releases Man Held In Slayings of U.S. Soldiers,” CNN, June 9, 2009, http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/09/iraq.prisoner.release/index.html?_s=PM:WORLD; “Man with al-Sadr ties held in attack on U.S. troops,” CNN.com, March 22, 2007, http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03/22/iraq.main/.

Since he was released in January 2010, Khazali has continued to lead AAH in both its paramilitary and political activities. When the U.S. military withdrew from Iraq in December 2010, AAH pivoted from attacking anti-American targets in Iraq to recruiting for pro-Assad militias in Syria. According to Guardian Middle East correspondent Martin Chulov, Khazali’s speeches have galvanized “thousands” of Iraqi Shiites to fight for Assad’s regime in Syria, worrying many Iraqi communities about “a sectarian conflict that increasingly respects no border.” Martin Chulov, “Controlled by Iran, the deadly militia recruiting Iraq's men to die in Syria,” Guardian (London), March 12, 2014, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/12/iraq-battle-dead-valley-peace-syria.

As AAH seeks to expand its role into Iraq’s political sphere, Khazali continues his sectarian rhetoric. Days before Iraq’s April 30, 2014, parliamentary elections, Khazali gave an ominous speech, drenched with “sectarian undertones,” at an AAH rally in Baghdad to 10,000 supporters. ISIS bombed the rally, killing at least 33 attendants including 10 AAH militants who fought alongside Assad forces in Syria.Associated Press, “Shiite rally bombing sparks reprisals in Iraq,” Seattle Times, April 26, 2014, http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/shiite-rally-bombing-sparks-reprisals-in-iraq/. Days later in the April 30 elections, AAH’s political party al-Sadiqun (the Honest Ones) ran as part of the State of Law bloc, winning only one seat.Nicholas A. Heras, “Iraqi Shi’a Militia Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq Expands Operations to Syria,” Jamestown Foundation, May 15, 2014, http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=42367&no_cache=1#.VTlNmiHBzGc; John Hall, “Shocking image shows child aged under ten being used to fire rockets from car-mounted missile launcher in Iraq against ISIS targets,” Daily Mail (London), December 24, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2885162/Chilling-image-shows-child-aged-ten-used-fire-rockets-car-mounted-missile-launcher-Iraq-against-ISIS-targets.html.

Since that time, AAH has continued to act primarily as a militia under Khazali’s leadership, though the group maintains a political role. AAH today fights anti-Assad rebels in Syria as well as ISIS in Iraq. Meanwhile, the group has continued to prioritize its role as an anti-American militia, boycotting the March 2015 battle against ISIS in Tikrit because of U.S. military aid.Saif Hameed, “UPDATE 4-Iraq special forces advance in Tikrit, U.S. coalition joins fight,” Reuters, March 26, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/26/mideast-crisis-iraq-idUSL6N0WS1MM20150326. Khazali also continues to deliver divisive and sectarian rhetoric against fellow Iraqis. In March 2015, Khazali said of Iraq’s Kurdish population, “[they are] operating right now like leeches, which feed on the host’s body – sucking more and more of its blood – in an effort to grow in size.”“Iraqi Shiite Militia Leader Qais Al-Khazali: Kurdish Leaders Are Leeches, Sucking the Blood of Iraq,” MEMRI TV, March 24, 2015, http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/4846.htm.

In March 2017, Khazali called for the establishment of separate universities in Iraq to be run by Shiite militias within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs). In the speech delivered before a crowd of university students, Khazali reportedly said that Iraq needed a “PMU University, through which we could address our enemies and tell them, ‘If you fear us now, you must know that the PMU is present in every university, college and department.’” According to Iraqi journalist Hassan al-Shanoun, Khazali’s call appears to mimic Iranian-style “cultural revolution” tactics from the 1980s. During that time, schools were closed, teachers and students were expelled, and all western and non-Islamic teachings were removed from curriculums. Khazali also released a statement saying that Iraqi students “need to organize their ranks, which would allow them to overthrow any corrupt government or regime.”Hassan al-Shanoun, “Shiite militias prepare for education 'revolution' in Iraq,” Al-Monitor, April 17, 2017, http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/04/university-iraq-cultural-revolution-pmu.html.

AAH ran in the May 2018 national elections within the Fatah Alliance, a coalition of Iran-backed Haashid Shaabi militias. AAH won 15 seats propelling Khazali into a position of political power within the new government.Phillip Smyth, “Iranian Militias in Iraq's Parliament: Political Outcomes and U.S. Response,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, June 11, 2018, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/iranian-militias-in-iraqs-parliament-political-outcomes-and-u.s.-response. After Iraq’s October 10, 2021, parliamentary elections, the Fatah Alliance, which includes AAH and other Shiite factions, won only 14 seats, dropping from 48 seats in the 2018 election. Shiite faction leaders rejected the results and threatened violent action. AAH accused foreign countries of manipulating the election results.Suadad al-Salhy and Alex MacDonald, “Iraq elections 2021: Shia parties reject results as armed group threatens violence,” Middle East Eye, October 12, 2021, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-elections-shia-parties-reject-results-militia-threatens-violence; Dilan Sirwan, “Iraq election results see giant parties fall, unexpected victories,” Rudaw, October 12, 2021, https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/121020212; “Pro-Iranian groups reject early Iraq election results as ‘scam,’” Al Jazeera, October 12, 2021, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/12/iraqi-pro-iranian-groups-reject-elections-a-scam; Faris al-Omran, “Asaib Ahl al-Haq's unpopularity on the rise in Iraq,” Diyaruna, November 3, 2021, https://diyaruna.com/en_GB/articles/cnmi_di/features/2021/11/03/feature-01.

On August 30, 2022, Khazali called a press conference to urge parliamentarians to form a new government for the betterment of Iraq. Khazali praised the PMU for maintaining order in Iraq during the government crisis.“Sheikh Khazali Calls for Government Formation, Says PMU Acted Responsibly,” U News, August 31, 2022, https://www.unews.com.lb/en/archives/31/08/2022/41142/. After 73 legislators loyal to influential leader Muqtada al-Sadr resigned on June 11, 2022, Khazali called for new parliamentary elections.“Leader of Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq Calls for New Parliamentary Elections in Iraq,” Tasnim News Agency, June 25, 2022, https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2022/06/25/2734161/leader-of-asa-ib-ahl-al-haq-calls-for-new-parliamentary-elections-in-iraq. After a year of deadlock, Iraq’s parliament elected Abdul Latif Rashid as president on October 13, 2022. Rashid immediately named Mohammed Shia al-Sudani prime minister-designate.Ahmed Rasheed and Amina Ismail, “Iraq elects new president and premier, ending stalemate,” Reuters, October 14, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/rockets-hit-baghdads-green-zone-sources-2022-10-13/.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanction-designated Khazali in December 2019 after AAH killed multiple peaceful demonstrators in Iraq.“Treasury Sanctions Iran-Backed Militia Leaders Who Killed Innocent Demonstrators in Iraq,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2019, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm847. The following month, the U.S. Department of State designated him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and its leaders, Qays and Laith al-Khazali,” U.S. Department of State, January 3, 2020, https://www.state.gov/state-department-terrorist-designations-of-asaib-ahl-al-haq-and-its-leaders-qays-and-laith-al-khazali/.

Despite the designation, Khazali has continued to meet with international diplomats as the leader of an Iraqi political party. A month after Iraq’s October 2021 parliamentary elections, Khazali met with Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). They met again in July 2022. The meetings were to discuss Iraqi attempts to form a government.Wladimir van Wilgenburg, “UN envoy meets with Qais Al-Khazali on Iraq government formation,” Kurdistan 24, July 27, 2022, https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/29074-UN-envoy-meets-with-Qais-Al-Khazali-on-Iraq-government-formation. In January 2023, Khazali met with Australian Ambassador to Iraq Paula Ganley. In response to media inquiries, Australia’s foreign affairs department said al-Khazali and AAH are not designated as terrorists in Australia. A department official says Khazali is head of a political party in Iraq, which is part of the Iraqi governing. Therefore, it was within the parameters of the ambassador’s job to meet with him.Jake Evans, “Australian ambassador in Iraq's meeting with US-designated global terrorist defended by Foreign Affairs Department,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, February 16, 2023, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-16/australian-ambassador-met-with-terrorist-in-iraq/101985438. On May 3, 2023, Khazali addressed the Iraqi Forum a day after U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf addressed the conference. The presence of U.S. officials at the same conference as Khazali drew criticism in the United States. The State Department defended its presence by saying Khazali did not appear on the same day as the U.S. officials.Bill Roggio, “U.S. State Department officials speak at same conference as dangerous Iran-backed Iraqi terrorist,” Foundation for Defense of Democracies, May 4, 2023, https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/05/04/conference-iran-backed-iraqi-terrorist/; Michael Lee, “US officials attend event whose guest list includes known terrorist responsible for murder of US troops,” Fox News, May 9, 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-officials-attend-event-guest-list-known-terrorist-responsible-murder-us-troops.

Notwithstanding AAH’s position in the Iraqi government, Khazali has continued to endorse violence in Iraq. In a June 2021 televised speech, Khazali vowed to attack U.S. troops in Iraq in response to a U.S. airstrike that killed five pro-Iran Iraqi militants. In the speech broadcasted by AAH’s satellite channel, Khazali said, “we are not seeking blood… however the American treacherous enemy is the one who started wasting lives and moved the battle to this level.”“Pro-Iran militia leader vows retaliation against US troops in Iraq,” Middle East Monitor, June 30, 2021, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210630-pro-iran-militia-leader-vows-retaliation-against-us-troops-in-iraq/; “Al-Khazali to the United States: An eye for an eye,” Shafaq News, June 29, 2021, https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq-News/Al-Khazali-to-the-United-States-An-eye-for-an-eye. During a May 6, 2023, speech marking AAH’s anniversary, Khazali claimed the group had carried out 5,000 operations against U.S. forces. Khazali declared AAH would continue its anti-U.S. operations.“Iraqi resistance group: 5,000 operations carried out against occupying US forces,” Press TV, May 7, 2023, https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/05/07/702899/Iraqi-resistance-group-operations-against-US-occupiers.

Mohammad Ali Jafari is the former commander“Iran Changes Revolutionary Guards commander: TV,” Reuters, September 1, 2007, http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/09/01/us-iran-guards-idUSBLA16539820070901. of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s primary instrument for defending the Islamic Republic against internal and external threats. He was appointed in 2007.Greg Bruno, Jayshree Bajoria, and Jonathan Masters, “Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,” Council on Foreign Relations, June 14, 2013, http://www.cfr.org/iran/irans-revolutionary-guards/p14324. The IRGC exerts influence in both Iranian politics and the economy.Rick Gladstone, “Iran’s Supreme Leader Replaces Head of Revolutionary Guards,” New York Times, April 22, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/world/middleeast/iran-revolutionary-guards-leader.html. Under Jafari, the IRGC aided Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country’s civil warIan Black, “Iran Confirms It Has Forces in Syria and Will Take Military Action If Pushed,” Guardian (London), September 16, 2012, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/16/iran-middleeast. and fought alongside Shiite militias against ISIS in Iraq.Farnaz Fassihi, “Iran Deploys Revolutionary Guard Forces to Fight Militants in Iraq, Iranian Security Sources Say,” Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2014, http://online.wsj.com/articles/iran-deploys-forces-to-fight-al-qaeda-inspired-militants-in-iraq-iranian-security-sources-1402592470. In April 2019, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei removed Jafari from the post of IRGC commander and appointed his replacement, Hossein Salami.“Supreme Leader Appoints New IRGC Commander,” Islamic Republic News Agency, April 21, 2019, accessed June 13, 2019, http://www.irna.ir/en/News/83286568.

Jafari reportedly views Iran’s “internal enemy” as a larger threat than its “external enemy.”Muhammad Sahimi, “A Hardliner’s Hardliner,” PBS Frontline, January 21, 2010, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2010/01/a-hardliners-hardliner.html. The U.S. and EU accuse him of overseeing the brutal suppression of protesters in Iran“Fact Sheet: New Executive Order Targeting Iranian Officials Responsible For Or Complicit In Serious Human Rights Abuses,” U.S. Department of Treasury, September 29, 2010, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg877.aspx. and Syria.“Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP of 31 May 2013 Concerning Restrictive Measures against Syria,” Official Journal of the European Union, June 1, 2013, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013D0255&qid=1414783825631&from=EN. When he directed the IRGC’s Center for Strategy in 2005,Michael Connell, “Iran’s Military Doctrine,” U.S. Institute for Peace, accessed February 22, 2015, http://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/irans-military-doctrine. Jafari introduced the mosaic defense, a plan that seeks to disrupt an invading enemy’s supply lines by placing IRGC units around Iran’s mountainous border regions.Michael Connell, “Iran’s Military Doctrine,” U.S. Institute for Peace, accessed February 22, 2015, http://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/irans-military-doctrine. Jafari also divided the IRGC command structure between 31 Iranian provinces to give local commanders more control and make it more difficult for an invader to target the IRGC’s command structure.Michael Connell, “Iran’s Military Doctrine,” U.S. Institute for Peace, accessed February 22, 2015, http://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/irans-military-doctrine. Jafari later praised Hezbollah’s tactics against Israel in their 2006 war as an example of non-traditional urban warfare.Muhammad Sahimi, “A Hardliner’s Hardliner,” PBS Frontline, January 21, 2010, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2010/01/a-hardliners-hardliner.html.

Jafari believes in Iran’s military superiority and has been a vocal critic of the West. Jafari has boasted that Iran will send its enemies “to the depths of the sea.”Nazila Fathi, “Iran Escalates Military Rhetoric,” New York Times, August 5, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/world/africa/05iht-05iran.15003614.html. He believes the ultimate goal of Iran’s Islamic Revolution is to create an Islamic civilization and that the IRGC will carry out this goal.Thomas Erdbrink, “Iranian General Says Saudi Arabia Will Soon Be Toppled,” New York Times, April 27, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/world/middleeast/iranian-general-says-saudia-arabia-will-soon-be-toppled.html?ref=world. In January 2014 amid ongoing negotiations on the Iranian nuclear deal, Jafari told Iranian-owned Fars News Agency that then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry “must know that direct battle with the US is the biggest dream of pious and revolutionary people across the world. Your threats offer our revolutionary people the best opportunity.”“IRGC Commander: Iran to Give Crushing Response to Enemy’s Aggression,” Fars News Agency, January 26, 2014, http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13921106000769.

In April 2019, Khamenei removed Jafari from the post of commander of the Revolutionary Guards. There was no reason specified for the removal of Jafari in the official press release issued by the IRGC. Khamenei replaced Jafari with Brigadier General Hossein Salami, whom he promoted and appointed as IRGC chief.Rick Gladstone, “Iran's Supreme Leader Replaces Head of Revolutionary Guards,” New York Times, April 22, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/world/middleeast/iran-revolutionary-guards-leader.html. Khamenei reassigned Jafari to the position of director of the Hazrat-e Baqiatollah Social and Cultural Base, where he will aid “the second step of the revolution,” according to Khamenei.“IRGC commander leaves sooner than expected,” Al-Monitor, April 22, 2019, https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/04/iran-irgc-new-commander-jafari-salami-khamenei-trump.html. In the weeks prior to this announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump classified the IRCG as a foreign terrorist organization, and therein imposed economic and travel sanctions on members and affiliated groups.“Statement from the President on the Designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,” The White House, April 8, 2019, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-designation-islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps-foreign-terrorist-organization/. Ahead of the U.S. designation of the IRGC, Jafari promised retaliation if the U.S. government followed through. Media analysts speculated that Jafari made Iran look weak when the United States moved forward with the designation, possibly spurring the change in leadership of the IRGC.Amir Toumaj, Twitter post, April 21, 2019, 11:50 a.m., https://twitter.com/AmirToumaj/status/1119991697545601024; “IRGC commander leaves sooner than expected,” Al-Monitor, April 22, 2019, https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/04/iran-irgc-new-commander-jafari-salami-khamenei-trump.html.

On February 11, 2022, Radio Farda released leaked audio of Jafari and his deputy for construction and economic affairs, Sadegh Zolghadrnia, discussing corruption investigations within the IRGC and Tehran’s municipality under then-Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. The undated audio likely occurred before Jafari was replaced in 2019. In the recording, Zolghadrnia says that Qalibaf had offered him a fake contract with the IRGC to cover up an 80 trillion-rial shortfall discovered during an audit of the IRGC’s Cooperative Foundation. Zolghadrnia allegedly refused the offer. In the recording, Zolghadrnia suggests IRGC intelligence head Hossein Taeb had lobbied for Qalibaf’s offer. Zolghadrnia also reveals Jamal Aberoumand, a deputy to Qalibaf who also served on the board of the Cooperative Foundation, had asked him to remove some passages from an audit regarding the missing funds. On February 12, the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency confirmed the authenticity of the recording. On February 13, an IRGC spokesman acknowledged “mismanagement” and a “violation” had occurred in a company affiliated with the Cooperative Foundation.“Radio Farda Exposé On IRGC Corruption, Infighting Raises Ire Of Iranian Authorities,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, February 18, 2022, https://www.rferl.org/a/farda-leaked-conversation-corruption-irgc/31710316.html.

Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, known widely by his nom de guerre Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, was the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH), an Iranian-sponsored Shiite militia operating primarily in Iraq.Babak Dehghanpisheh, “Special Report: The fighters of Iraq who answer to Iran,” Reuters, November 12, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/12/us-mideast-crisis-militias-specialreport-idUSKCN0IW0ZA20141112;
“Treasury Designates Individual, Entity Posing Threat to Stability in Iraq,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, July 2, 2009, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg195.aspx. Ibrahimi was believed to be the most influential commander of the Haashid Shaabi, the umbrella group of anti-ISIS Shiite militias also called Iraq’s popular mobilization forces (PMF), and played a key role in smuggling weapons from Iran to these militias in Iraq.“Top Iraqi Militia Leader: Fighting for Iran under Soleimani's leadership Is “Blessing from God”,” Middle East Institute, April 5, 2017, http://www.mei.edu/publications/top-iraqi-militia-leader-fighting-iran-under-soleimanis-leadership-blessing-god. Ibrahimi was reportedly killed on January 3, 2020, in an airstrike on Iraq’s Baghdad International Airport that also allegedly killed Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force.Frank Miles, “Baghdad rocket attack kills Iranian military leaders including Gen. Qassim Soleimani, reports say,” Fox News, January 2, 2020,  https://www.foxnews.com/world/rockets-baghdad-airport-injuries-reported.

In addition to acting as the leader of KH, Ibrahimi served as Iraq’s deputy national security adviser and the deputy commander of the Haashid Shaabi.Liz Sly, “Pro-Iran militias’ success in Iraq could undermine U.S.,” Washington Post, February 15, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraqs-pro-iranian-shiite-militias-lead-the-war-against-the-islamic-state/2015/02/15/5bbb1cf0-ac94-11e4-8876-460b1144cbc1_story.html; Phillip Smyth, “There Is No ‘Good’ Shia Militia in Iraq,” Daily Beast, April 17, 2015, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/17/is-there-a-good-shia-militia-in-iraq.html. He was also a former member of the Iraqi parliament.Babak Dehghanpisheh, “Special Report: The fighters of Iraq who answer to Iran,” Reuters, November 12, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/12/us-mideast-crisis-militias-specialreport-idUSKCN0IW0ZA20141112.

Nonetheless, Ibrahimi was for years linked to a series of deadly crimes. In 2007, a Kuwaiti court sentenced Ibrahimi to death in absentia for his involvement in the 1983 U.S. and French embassy bombings in Kuwait, attacks that killed six and injured nearly 90 others.Matthew Levitt, “29 Years Later, Echoes of ‘Kuwait 17’,” Weekly Standard, December 13, 2012, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/29-years-later-echoes-kuwait-17_666451.html;
“Treasury Designates Individual, Entity Posing Threat to Stability in Iraq,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, July 2, 2009, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg195.aspx. Ibrahimi was also linked to the 1985 assassination attempt of Kuwait’s Emir.“Treasury Designates Individual, Entity Posing Threat to Stability in Iraq,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, July 2, 2009, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg195.aspx;
Richard R. Brennan et al., eds., Ending the U.S. War in Iraq: the Final Transition, Operational Maneuver, and Disestablishment of United States Forces-Iraq (Santa Monica: RAND Corporation, 2013), 138-139, http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR200/RR232/RAND_RR232.pdf.

According to Iraqi Major-General Jumaa Enad, Ibrahimi was “realistically and operationally” the leader of the PMF.Nour Malas, “The Militia Commander Beating Back ISIS in Iraq Makes the U.S. Nervous,” Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-militia-commander-beating-back-isis-in-iraq-makes-the-u-s-nervous-1464890675. Muen al-Kadimi, deputy leader of another Shiite militia in Iraq, the Badr Organization, confirmed that Ibrahimi was one of the highest-level commander in the PMF, saying that Ibrahimi “signs off on things.”Nour Malas, “The Militia Commander Beating Back ISIS in Iraq Makes the U.S. Nervous,” Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-militia-commander-beating-back-isis-in-iraq-makes-the-u-s-nervous-1464890675.

Ibrahimi believed in establishing a Shiite theocracy, and considered himself to be a representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameni, according to Iraqi lawmaker Mishaan Jbouri.Nour Malas, “The Militia Commander Beating Back ISIS in Iraq Makes the U.S. Nervous,” Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-militia-commander-beating-back-isis-in-iraq-makes-the-u-s-nervous-1464890675. He reportedly served as an adviser and “right hand man” to Iran’s military envoy to Iraq, the IRGC-Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.Michael Knights, “The Evolution of Iran’s Special Groups in Iraq,” Combatting Terrorism Center, November 1, 2010, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/the-evolution-of-iran%E2%80%99s-special-groups-in-iraq;
Nour Malas, “The Militia Commander Beating Back ISIS in Iraq Makes the U.S. Nervous,” Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-militia-commander-beating-back-isis-in-iraq-makes-the-u-s-nervous-1464890675. Ibrahimi held both Iraqi and Iranian citizenship and his family reportedly still resides in Iran.Joshua Keating, “Iraq Is Becoming the Center of the U.S.-Iran Cold War,” Slate, December 30, 2019, https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/12/kataib-hezbollah-mohandes-iran-shiite-iraq.html.

According to U.S. diplomat Ali Khedery speaking on behalf of Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish officials in 2015, “the real prime minster of [Iraq] is [Iranian commander] Qasem Soleimani and his deputy is Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis [Ibrahimi].”Michael Weiss and Michael Pregent, “The U.S. Is Providing Air Cover for Ethnic Cleansing in Iraq,” Foreign Policy, March 28, 2015, http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/28/the-united-states-is-providing-air-cover-for-ethnic-cleansing-in-iraq-shiite-militias-isis/.

Ibrahimi was born in Basra, in southern Iraq. For years, he worked alongside Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Badr Organization (previously called the Badr Corps). During the 1980s, he received military training from the IRGC in Iran, while the country was at war with Iraq.Joshua Keating, “Iraq Is Becoming the Center of the U.S.-Iran Cold War,” Slate, December 30, 2019, https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/12/kataib-hezbollah-mohandes-iran-shiite-iraq.html. After the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Ibrahimi helped smuggle in a certain kind of improvised explosive device (IED) known as explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) from Iran into Iraq. EFPs were the primary killer of U.S. troops in Iraq from 2003 to 2011.Nour Malas, “The Militia Commander Beating Back ISIS in Iraq Makes the U.S. Nervous,” Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-militia-commander-beating-back-isis-in-iraq-makes-the-u-s-nervous-1464890675.

From 2003 to 2008, Ibrahimi allegedly organized, trained, and equipped a network of militias in Iraq that U.S. forces called Special Groups, which led the anti-American insurgency. During this time, he also served in the Iraqi parliament and the U.S. made attempts to detain him.Nour Malas, “The Militia Commander Beating Back ISIS in Iraq Makes the U.S. Nervous,” Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-militia-commander-beating-back-isis-in-iraq-makes-the-u-s-nervous-1464890675. He ultimately evaded capture and disappeared from parliament, reportedly fleeing to Iran. Ibrahimi resurfaced in Iraq in an official capacity in 2014, when Iraqi Shiites joined Iran-backed militias such as KH to fight against ISIS.Joshua Keating, “Iraq Is Becoming the Center of the U.S.-Iran Cold War,” Slate, December 30, 2019, https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/12/kataib-hezbollah-mohandes-iran-shiite-iraq.html.

Ibrahimi and Soleimani were killed on January 3, 2020, in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad International Airport. The Pentagon confirmed shortly after that U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the strike because Soleimani was “actively developing plans” to attack U.S. troops and officials.Frank Miles, “Baghdad rocket attack kills Iranian military leaders including Gen. Qassim Soleimani, reports say,” Fox News, January 2, 2020,  https://www.foxnews.com/world/rockets-baghdad-airport-injuries-reported; Missy Ryan and Dan Lamothe, “Pentagon launched airstrike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, Defense Sec. Mark Esper says,” Washington Post, January 2, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/defense-secretary-says-iran-and-its-proxies-may-be-planning-fresh-attacks-on-us-personnel-in-iraq/2020/01/02/53b63f00-2d89-11ea-bcb3-ac6482c4a92f_story.html The PMF blamed the United States and Israel for Ibrahimi and Soleimani’s deaths. The strike reportedly killed at least five others, including the PMF’s airport protocol officer, Mohammed Reda.Qassim Abdul-Zahra, “Iran’s Gen. Soleimani killed in airstrike at Baghdad airport,” Associated Press, January 2, 2020, https://apnews.com/5597ff0f046a67805cc233d5933a53ed. The strike followed a December 31, 2019, assault on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad by Iraqi protesters and members of KH. Protesters withdrew on January 1, 2020. U.S. leaders held the Iranian leadership responsible and promised retaliation.Frank Miles, “Baghdad rocket attack kills Iranian military leaders including Gen. Qassim Soleimani, reports say,” Fox News, January 2, 2020,  https://www.foxnews.com/world/rockets-baghdad-airport-injuries-reported. Ibrahimi was reportedly among the KH members involved in the attack.Mustafa Salim and Liz Sly, “Militia supporters chanting ‘Death to America’ break into U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad,” Washington Post, December 31, 2019,  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/iran-backed-militia-supporters-converge-on-us-embassy-in-baghdad-shouting-death-to-america/2019/12/31/93f050b2-2bb1-11ea-bffe-020c88b3f120_story.html; Mustafa Salim and Liz Sly, “Supporters of Iranian-backed militia end siege of U.S. Embassy in Baghdad,” Washington Post, January 1, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/supporters-of-iranian-backed-militia-start-withdrawing-from-besieged-us-embassy-in-baghdad-following-militia-orders/2020/01/01/8280cb34-2c9e-11ea-9b60-817cc18cf173_story.html.

Nasir al-Wuhayshi is the U.S.-designated emir (leader) of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and deputy leader of al-Qaeda.“Designations of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Senior Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, January 19, 2010, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/01/135364.htm; “Nasir al-Wuhayshi,” Berkley Center, accessed May 19, 2015, http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/people/nasir-al-wuhayshi. According to Yemeni security forces, Nasir al-Wuhayshi was killed by a U.S. drone on June 15, 2015. Tweets from AQAP sources confirm that al-Wuhayshi has been “martyred,” and will be succeeded as head of AQAP by military commander Qasim al-Raymi.“Top al Qaeda leader reported killed in Yemen,” CNN, June 15, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/15/middleeast/yemen-aqap-leader-killed/index.html.

Al-Wuhayshi was appointed emir in November 2008 by then-deputy leader of al-Qaeda Ayman al-Zawahiri.“Five Key Members of AQAP,” Stephen Kurczy, Christian Science Monitor, November 2, 2010, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/1102/Five-key-members-of-Al-Qaeda-in-Yemen-AQAP/Nasir-al-Wuhayshi-head-of-AQAP. Al-Wuhayshi oversaw the 2009 merger of the Yemeni and Saudi al-Qaeda branches that formed AQAP.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combatting Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. In 2013, he was chosen by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri as deputy of al-Qaeda.“Nasir al-Wuhayshi,” Berkley Center, accessed May 19, 2015, http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/people/nasir-al-wuhayshi. The U.S. Department of State designated al-Wuhayshi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in January 2010.“Designations of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Senior Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, January 19, 2010, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/01/135364.htmi. He is believed to operate out of Yemen.

Wuhayshi was born in southern Yemen in 1976.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combatting Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. After becoming in thrall to a radical interpretation of Islam during his study at a private religious institute, al-Wuhayshi ventured to Afghanistan to join al-Qaeda.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combatting Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. In Afghanistan, al-Wuhayshi entered the confidence of bin Laden and served as his personal secretary for a number of years.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combatting Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following September 11, 2001, Wuhayshi made his way to Iran where he was arrested.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combatting Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. Wuhayshi was extradited to his native Yemen, where he escaped and began to establish what would become al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).Gregory D. Johnsen, “A Profile of AQAP’s Upper Echelon,” Combatting Terrorism Center, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon.

Ali Ibrahim al-Watfa is a senior member of Hezbollah and the group’s permanent liaison to Sierra Leone.“Treasury Sanctions Hizballah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx. The U.S. accuses him of aiding a Hezbollah fundraising cell in Freetown, Sierra Leone.“Treasury Sanctions Hizballah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx. Al-Watfa reportedly coordinates fundraising through Hezbollah’s Foreign Relations Department.“Treasury Sanctions Hizballah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx. The U.S. called al-Watfa and three other Lebanese nationals in West Africa “ambassadors” for Hezbollah responsible for raising millions of dollars for the group.“Treasury Sanctions Hizballah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx. Al-Watfa denied the charges, calling them “a big surprise” and suggesting he had been set up.David Lewis, “Insight: U.S. and allies target Hezbollah financing, ties in Africa,” Reuters, September 20, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/20/us-syria-crisis-hezbollah-africa-insight-idUSBRE98J04L20130920.

West Africa has become an important region for Hezbollah in recent years as financial sanctions on Iran have diminished the country’s financial support of Hezbollah.David Lewis, “Insight: U.S. and allies target Hezbollah financing, ties in Africa,” Reuters, September 20, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/20/us-syria-crisis-hezbollah-africa-insight-idUSBRE98J04L20130920. Hezbollah has been involved in Sierra Leone’s illicit diamond trade for years, according to Hezbollah expert Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.Matthew Levitt, “Hezbollah Finances: Funding the Party of God,” Washington Institute for Near East Peace, February 2005, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/hezbollah-finances-funding-the-party-of-god.

Mustafa Badreddine was a U.S.-designated senior military commander for Hezbollah.“Treasury Designates Hizballah Leadership,” U.S. Department of the treasury, September 13, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1709.aspx. He reportedly controlled Hezbollah’s external operations, including launching attacks on Israel from the West Bank and Gaza and attacking Sunni forces in Iraq. According to Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman, Baddredine was the target of a January 2015 Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah members in Syria in which an Iranian general and six Hezbollah members were killed.Ronen Bergman, “The Hezbollah Connection,” New York Times, February 10, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/the-hezbollah-connection.html?_r=0. On May 13, 2016, Hezbollah’s al-Manar website announced Badreddine’s death in an explosion near the Damascus airport. Lebanese MP and Hezbollah member Nawar al-Saheli blamed the attack on Israel, stating, “This is an open war and we should not preempt the investigation but certainly Israel is behind this.”Tom Perry and Laila Bassam, “Top Hezbollah commander killed in Syria,” Reuters, May 13, 2016, http://in.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-hezbollah-idINKCN0Y405A. A later statement by Hezbollah attributed Badreddine’s death to “artillery bombardment” by Sunni jihadists.Richard Spencer, “Hizbollah blames jihadists, not Israel, for killing of military chief Mustafa Badreddine,” Telegraph (London), May 14, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/14/hizbollah-blames-jihadists-not-israel-for-killing-of-military-ch/.

In September 2012, the U.S. Treasury designated Badreddine as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 for providing support to Hezbollah’s terror activities in the Middle East and internationally.Tom Perry and Laila Bassam, “Top Hezbollah commander killed in Syria,” Reuters, May 13, 2016, http://in.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-hezbollah-idINKCN0Y405A. In July 2015, the Treasury designated Badreddine pursuant to Executive Order 13582, freezing Badreddine’s U.S. assets and prohibiting U.S. persons from “engaging in transactions [with Badreddine].” According to the Treasury, Badreddine had organized Hezbollah’s military operations in Syria since 2011.“Treasury Designates Hizballah Leadership,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 13, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1709.aspx.

Badreddine was wanted by the U.N. and Lebanese authorities for his reported role in the February 14, 2005 murder of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.Special Tribunal for Lebanon, “Hussein Hassan Oneissi,” April 25, 2012, http://www.stl-tsl.org/en/the-cases/stl-11-01/accused/618-hussein-hassan-oneissi. The bomb attack on Hariri’s motorcade claimed the lives of an additional 21 and injured more than 220.Owen Bowcott, “Trial of Lebanese broadcaster charged with contempt of court opens in Hague,” Guardian, April 16, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/13/hezbollah-suspect-at-large-journalists-in-dock-at-hague-un-tribunal. Badreddine was being tried in absentia at the U.N.’s special tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague alongside fellow Hezbollah agents Salim Ayyah, Hussein Onesisi, and Assad Sabra. Lebanese authorities had reportedly been unable to locate Badreddine since 2009.Owen Bowcott, “Trial of Lebanese broadcaster charged with contempt of court opens in Hague,” Guardian, April 16, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/13/hezbollah-suspect-at-large-journalists-in-dock-at-hague-un-tribunal.