NAJAF, Iraq — With the ongoing sectarian conflict in the Middle East, the tug-of-war to find regional alliances to support one sectarian axis over another continues. After Saudi Arabia established a Sunni alliance in December 2015, there are currently indications that Iran is working toward building a corresponding Shiite alliance.
In his annual message addressed to pilgrims on Sept. 5, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attacked the Saudi alliance and described the Saudi leaders as strife instigators in the region. He blamed them for the chaos and destruction across the Muslim world, naming Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen and Libya as affected areas.
Iran had made an announcement about forming a Shiite liberation army to face Saudi and Israeli threats, as Iran believes the two countries are allies. On Aug. 18, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Ali Falaki, a commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who spearheaded several operations in Syria, announced the formation of a Shiite liberation army including men of different nationalities — Iraqis, Afghans and Lebanese, among others.
He said that Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, will lead the army whose forces are currently fighting in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Soleimani hopes to open new fronts in other regions in the Middle East.
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