Iran Warns against Dissolving Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani meets with Humam Hamoudi, the head of Iraq’s Islamic Supreme Council, in Tehran. (Tasnim)
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani meets with Humam Hamoudi, the head of Iraq’s Islamic Supreme Council, in Tehran. (Tasnim)
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Iran Warns against Dissolving Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani meets with Humam Hamoudi, the head of Iraq’s Islamic Supreme Council, in Tehran. (Tasnim)
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani meets with Humam Hamoudi, the head of Iraq’s Islamic Supreme Council, in Tehran. (Tasnim)

Iran warned on Monday against any attempts to dissolve the Hashd al-Shaabi or Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq, and considered any calls to dismantle those units, which include militias loyal to Tehran, as a “conspiracy.”

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said that calls for dissolving the PMF is a “new conspiracy that would drive the comeback of instabilty and terrorism to the region.”

He made his remarks during a meeting in Tehran on Monday with Humam Hamoudi, the head of Iraq’s Islamic Supreme Council and the country’s first deputy parliament speaker, reported Iran’s news agency ISNA.

Shamkhani added: “The patience and perseverance of the Iraqi people and the heroics of the country’s army, security and popular forces, especially the PMF, led to the destruction of the region's greatest threat, ISIS, despite the discontent of some countries.”

He stressed that the wisdom of the Iraqi officials and deputies would not allow enemies to sew conspiracies that would disintegrate the country.

Sources close to the Islamic Supreme Council said that Hamoudi’s visit to Tehran aims to inform the Iranian leadership about the nature of alliances in the upcoming elections and to discuss the fate of Iraq’s Shi’ite “National Alliance.”

Some Shi’ite blocs and figures, including the Islamic Supreme Council, are concerned about the “ambiguous” future that awaits the National Alliance, after the withdrawal of the Sadrist Movement and divisions among its members.

Some sources said that Iran was currently exerting efforts to “repair” the crack left inside the Alliance, and to make sure that Shi’ite forces would win the prime ministry seat during the upcoming round of elections.

On Sunday, Hamoudi criticized French President Emmanuel Macron, who on Saturday called on Iraq to dismantle all militias, including an Iran-backed military force, and for the government in Baghdad to open dialogue to ease tensions with Iraqi Kurdish leaders.

Hamoudi said that the French position was an intervention in the internal affairs of Iraq.



Air India Plane with 242 on Board Crashes at India's Ahmedabad Airport

Firefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Firefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
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Air India Plane with 242 on Board Crashes at India's Ahmedabad Airport

Firefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Firefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

An Air India plane headed to London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, the airline and police said, without specifying whether there were any fatalities.

The plane was headed to Gatwick airport in the UK, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a civilian area near the airport.

Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service.

"At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India said on X.

The crash occurred when the aircraft was taking off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge cloud of fire rising into the sky from beyond the houses, Reuters reported.

Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport.

They also showed visuals of people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.

According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39 p.m. (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a "Mayday" call, signaling an emergency, but thereafter no there was no response from the aircraft.

Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off.

"The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB," it said.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.