Iran's regional proxy network has come under unprecedented pressure since the war in Gaza began, with leaders and officials being killed in targeted Israeli attacks over the past year.
Iran-backed militias in Iraq have been discussing future roles amid pressure to disarm, said an Iraqi source close to the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a coalition of militias dominated by groups with ties to Iran.
The militias are part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of about 10 hardline Shiite armed factions that collectively command about 50,000 fighters and arsenals that include long-range missiles and anti-aircraft weapons, according to two security officials who monitor militias' activities.
The Resistance group, an important pillar of Iran's network of regional proxy forces, have claimed responsibility for dozens of missile and drone attacks on Israel and US forces in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war erupted about 18 months ago.
"All previous governments, since the formation of the PMF by decision of the Shiite religious authority, have been subject to pressure to restrict arms to the state," the source said.
Here are the Iran-backed militias you need to know about:
Kataib Hezbollah
Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) was founded in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and is one of the elite Iraqi armed factions closest to Iran. It is the most powerful armed faction in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, and has claimed hundreds of attacks on US forces since the Gaza war began.
After its founding, the group quickly developed a reputation for deadly attacks against military and diplomatic targets in the 2000s, using a mixture of sniper, rocket and mortar attacks and roadside bombs.
The US designated it as a terrorist organisation in 2009. It was led by dual Iraqi-Iranian citizen Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis until he was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad International Airport in 2020, along with Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.
It views US troops in Iraq as foreign occupiers and has called for their forceful expulsion. The US has struck Kataib Hezbollah positions, bases and training and logistics hubs several times over the years.
The group fought alongside other Shiite militias against mostly Sunni rebels during Syria's civil war and has continued to operate in Syria since.
Kataib Hezbollah has thousands of fighters and an arsenal of drones, rockets and short-range ballistic missiles, Iraqi officials and members of the group say.
Al Nujaba Movement
The Al Nujaba Movement (or Hezbollah Al Nujaba) is led by Akram Al Kaabi, who after 2003 was part of the Jaish Al Mahdi militia, before joining Asaib Ahl Al Haq and then travelling to Syria to establish Al Nujaba in around 2013. By 2014, many of its personnel had returned to Iraq and joined the new PMF movement.
In 2008, the US Treasury sanctioned Al Kaabi for involvement in attacks against the US-led coalition.
In 2019, the US State Department designated Al Nujaba as a terrorist group.
Sayyed Al Shuhada
Kataib Sayyid Al Shuhada (KSS, Battalion of the Master of Martyrs) is an Iraqi Shiite paramilitary group formed in 2013. It is funded, trained and equipped by the IRGC's Quds Force and Hezbollah.
The group has been described as an Iranian proxy, and is one of the original militias that formed the PMF in 2014.
It was also active in Syria, where its main focus was the protection of the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in a southern suburb of Damascus. It militarily supported the Syrian government and participated in the Syrian civil war.
On November 17, 2023, the US government designated KSS as a foreign terrorist organisation.
Asaib Ahl Al Haq
A splinter of Moqtada Al Sadr’s Jaish Al Mahdi militia that broke away in 2005-2006 with support from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and Lebanese Hezbollah.
Formed to undertake anti-US operations in Iraq under the leadership of senior Sadrist religious student Qais Al Khazali, his brother Laith Al Khazali, and Sadrist commander Akram Kaabi.
The group undertook a January 2007 attack on the US base at the Karbala police centre that resulted in the kidnapping and murder of five American soldiers. Qais and Laith Al Khazali were detained by the US-led coalition from 2007 to 2010, until their release was brokered for the return of a Western hostage and the bodies of executed Britons.
After the US withdrawal in 2011, the group tightened its ties to the IRGC-QF’s axis of resistance and sent a contingent to fight in the Syrian civil war under the IRGC-QF's operational control.
After 2014, Asaib Ahl Al Haq became a central component of the PMF, while facing accusations that it had committed human rights violations against Sunnis.
In January 2020, the group was designated by the US as a terrorist organisation. Also in the same year, Qais and Laith Al Khazali were put on a terror list.
Imam Ali Brigades
Imam Ali Brigades was established in June 2014 under the leadership of Shibl Al Zaidi, a former Mahdi Army commander. In the war against ISIS, the group deployed forces in Iraq (beginning in 2014) and Syria (2015).
The US Treasury designated Al Zaidi as a terrorist in 2018 for allegedly acting as a financial co-ordinator between the Quds Force, Iraqi paramilitaries and Lebanese Hezbollah.
It established the Professionals for Reconstruction Party, winning one seat in the 2018 elections, when it also joined the Al Fatah coalition.
As of 2018, Imam Ali Brigades had an estimated 7,000 fighters, although it has reportedly become less active as a paramilitary force since around 2020.
Jund Al Imam (Soldiers of the Imam)
The group was originally formed as a militia during the 1991 Iraqi uprisings, with help from Iran. The group came back to prominence after regrouping in Iraq to fight against ISIS in 2014, when it participated in the liberation of Jurf Al Sakhar, helping take back control of the area from the group.
In 2017, the group, along with six other groups, formed the PMF.
Ansar Allah Al Awfiya
Initially emerged as a political group in 2013 under the name Kayan Al Sidq Wal Ataa (Entity of Honesty and Giving). In 2014, it joined the PMF under the name Ansar Allah Al Awfiya. It has also reportedly been active in Syria.
Some media outlets blamed the group for killing dozens of Syrians in Deir Ezzor province in 2021. The US accused Ansar Allah Al Awfiya of killing of three US servicemen in January 2024 and designated it as a terrorist group.
In the 2018 election, the group aligned itself with the Fatah coalition.
Since 2023, the group claimed attacks on Israel, most of which have not been verified.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
