August 15, 2025

Information Cutoff: 2:00 pm ET

Avery Borens, Nidal Morrison, Ben Schmida, Katherine Wells, Ben Rezaei, Adham Fattah, Carolyn Moorman, Adam Jacoff, and Annika Ganzeveld

Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah Secretary General Abu Hussein al Hamidawi published a statement on August 15 in which he called for strengthening Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, likely in response to recent US efforts to weaken the Axis of Resistance. Hamidawi underlined the necessity of “supporting” Iranian-backed Iraqi militias with advanced weapons, enhanced technical capabilities, and improved “defensive and destructive capacities.” Hamidawi’s statement comes as the United States pursues various lines of effort to weaken Iran and its Axis of Resistance. The Lebanese government agreed on August 7 to a US proposal to disarm Hezbollah. The United States has also pressured the Iraqi government to dissolve the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which is an Iraqi state security service that includes a large number of Iranian-backed militias. State of Law Coalition head Nouri al Maliki emphasized the importance of the PMF’s existence in the face of US and Israeli efforts to disarm Hezbollah in a phone call with Iranian Supreme Leader International Affairs Adviser Ali Akbar Velayati on August 8. Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba separately warned the United States on August 14 against “taking steps against Iraq,” referring to US pressure to dissolve the PMF.

Iranian Supreme Leader International Affairs Adviser Ali Akbar Velayati emphasized Iranian support for the Houthis during a meeting with the Houthi representative to Iran on August 14. Velayati denied that the Axis of Resistance has weakened and underlined the Houthis' pivotal role in the Axis of Resistance’s war against Israel in a meeting with Houthi Representative to Iran Ibrahim al Dailami. The Houthis are the only Axis of Resistance member that still regularly conducts attacks targeting Israel. The Houthis also continue to threaten international shipping. Velayati separately criticized US pressure to disarm Lebanese Hezbollah and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq. This meeting comes after Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani reaffirmed Iranian support for the Axis of Resistance during his visits to Iraq and Lebanon between August 11 and 14.

• PMF Dissolution: Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah Secretary General Abu Hussein al Hamidawi published a statement on August 15 in which he called for strengthening Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, likely in response to recent US efforts to weaken the Axis of Resistance. Hamidawi underlined the necessity of “supporting” Iranian-backed Iraqi militias with advanced weapons, enhanced technical capabilities, and improved “defensive and destructive capacities.”

• Iran-Houthi Relations: Iranian Supreme Leader International Affairs Adviser Ali Akbar Velayati emphasized Iranian support for the Houthis during a meeting with the Houthi representative to Iran on August 14. Velayati denied that the Axis of Resistance has weakened and underlined the Houthis' pivotal role in the Axis of Resistance’s war against Israel in a meeting with Houthi Representative to Iran Ibrahim al Dailami.

• Hezbollah Disarmament: Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem threatened to incite anti-government protests in Lebanon if the Lebanese government attempts to disarm Hezbollah during a speech on August 15. Qassem reiterated that Hezbollah will not surrender its weapons until Israel halts its operations and withdraws from southern Lebanon.

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