Text version:ANIZAY NEWS
June 13th, 2025
Middle East Tensions Rise - Military Support to Iraqi MilitiasBy Jonathan Wyatt, GNN
Baghdad, Iraq – Western intelligence officials have raised renewed concerns over the Islamic Republic of Duresh ’s growing involvement in Iraq’s Al-Anbar province, where insurgent activity has surged in recent months despite the presence of NATO advisory forces and UN peacekeepers.
Classified assessments shared with GNN correspondents suggest that Duresh has quietly expanded military assistance to several Iraqi-based armed factions, including hardline paramilitary groups with historic links to Tehran. Among the factions allegedly receiving support are tribal militias aligned with the Lions of the Tigris and, to a lesser extent, the more ideologically extreme Swords of Tarhid—both of which have resisted efforts by the Iraqi central government to consolidate security in the region.
Weapons and Advisors “Slipping Through the Cracks”
Sources within NATO’s Iraq Mission (NMI) report that Duresh i-supplied small arms, communication equipment, and low-grade drone systems have appeared in militia caches across western Iraq. While Duresh publicly denies providing any direct material support to non-state actors, Western officials believe these shipments are facilitated by third-party intermediaries, often through southern border crossings or via proxy networks in Syria. Independent security analysts are also hinting at changes in insurgent tactics as indications of outside involvement with a drastic increase in civilian casualties and damaged or destroyed infrastructure.
“The challenge is that these aren’t overt arms shipments,” said one NATO officer speaking on condition of anonymity. “They come in disguised as humanitarian aid, construction equipment—whatever allows them to slip through without scrutiny.”
Growing Political Pressure in Tabriz
Meanwhile, hardline voices in Duresh’s ruling establishment are reportedly calling for a more aggressive stance in Iraq, citing what they claim is “NATO destabilisation” and “illegal occupation” in the Al-Anbar region. Conservative lawmakers within the Majlis-e-Duresh(Dureshi Parliament) have introduced a resolution urging the Supreme Leader to consider “limited military operations” aimed at safeguarding Duresh i religious and strategic interests.
While the President’s Office in Tabriz has publicly downplayed the resolution, analysts say the growing influence of the Basijan Volunteer Corps and the Guards of the Revolution, marked by a recent but un-publicized change in leadership, signals a possible shift toward a more confrontational approach.
Pretext: Chemical Weapons and Sectarian Stability
Duresh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also amplified unverified claims of chemical weapons stockpiles hidden in western Iraq—claims that some regional observers believe are intended to provide political cover for a future military incursion. In a televised address last week, Dureshi President Dr. Reza Bahrami stated that “if international partners fail to take meaningful action, Dureshwill not stand idle as our neighbors fall into chaos.”
Western diplomats have dismissed the chemical weapons narrative as unfounded. “There is zero credible evidence of WMDs in Al-Anbar,” said a senior UN official familiar with the region. “It’s a dangerous fiction designed to mask strategic ambition.”
Regional Implications
If Duresh proceeds with a conventional military intervention, analysts warn it could fracture the already fragile security landscape in Iraq and heighten the risk of confrontation with NATO or UN forces operating nearby.
“The fear is not just escalation—it’s legitimization,” said Dr. Lina Hussein, a regional security expert at the University of Exeter. “Once Duresh has boots on the ground, even under the guise of humanitarian or counter-WMD missions, it becomes that much harder to remove them diplomatically.”
Looking Ahead
For now, NATO and UN forces remain committed to supporting Iraqi sovereignty and stability through training, reconstruction, and counterinsurgency operations. But with tensions rising and Dureshi influence creeping further westward, the future of Al-Anbar—and the broader region—remains precariously uncertain.
AUTHORIZED FOR DISTRIBUTION BY 1-506th S-2Written By: 1SG Beckett
Reviewed and Edited By: 1LT Jae Lee
The entirety of this document represents fictional works of the 506th Infantry Regiment Realism Unit, S-2 Intelligence Shop, developed for use within the Arma Reforger military simulation video games, and exists purely for entertainment and educational purposes only. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
