🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡️ — Kyiv residents are sheltering in the underground metro as Russian missiles continue to strike the Ukrainian capital.

— 🇮🇶/🇮🇶 NEW: The Iraqi Shiite militia ‘Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haqq’ announces it will integrate fully with the Iraqi Armed Forces

They are the second militia to do so, following Saraya Al-Salam led by Muqtada Al-Sadr.

Iraq now has a proper government and ISIS is no longer around, so many of these militias see no purpose in being independent.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇶/🇮🇶 NEW: Katai’b Imam Ali (Imam Ali Brigades) also announce their integration into the Iraqi Armed Forces

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇶/🇮🇶 For those wondering why many Iraqi militias are handing over their weapons to the state:

– Most of the Iraqi Shia militias were formed in response to the U.S. occupation that started in 2003, and ISIS which appeared in 2013/14.

– Since ISIS was fully defeated and expelled from Iraqi territory in 2020, and the U.S. was forced to withdraw from most of Iraq in 2025, there is no real purpose for these militias anymore.

– The Iraqi government, which is now led by Ali Al-Zaidi (a Shia Muslim) has made significant investments in the Armed Forces and is now somewhat capable of defendings its own territory against most threats.

– The Iraqi government is not like the Lebanese government which does not defend its own territory against foreign occupation. The reason Hezbollah exists is because Lebanon has shown itself incapable of dealing with the Zionist threat. But the situation in Iraq is fundamentally different.

– Therefore, many of the militias have chosen to integrate (not disband) into the Iraqi Armed Forces. Meaning, they will still exist, but they will become fully part of the Iraqi Armed Forces and operate under their command.

– However, some militias have decided they will remain independent. For example, Kata’ib Hezbollah, and Saraya Awliyaa Al-Damm (Guardians of the Blood Brigades) which carried out drone and missile attacks against American bases and Israel. These groups, very ideologically aligned with Iran and Wilayat Al-Faqih, see it as their duty to do more than just defend Iraq — in fact they see it as their duty defend Islam as a whole. Therefore they will continue existing independently to aid other Muslims in Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran whenever they deem necessary.

@Middle_East_Spectator