The crowd chants the Iranian national anthem in Parsi on Basra Street

In a significant expansion and new challenge to the Iraqi government and Iraqis, militants of the People’s Movement (PMF) chanted the Iranian and Persian national anthems at a ceremony on Basra Street, in the presence of leaders and Iraqi political figures.

The clip, which was circulated on social media, was described by viewers as the official announcement of the crowd’s involvement with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

The plan to support Sistani

Iraqi sources have previously revealed plans to withdraw militant groups from Iranian control and mobilize forces.

The plan is backed by Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani and those close to him, as four armed Iraqi factions are campaigning to persuade semi-official militias to change ties with the Iraqi government instead of a mass meeting.

The sources explained that the first step in the plan proposed by cleric Mehdam al-Jaidi, who is close to Sistani, is to change four divisions.

Sources said it would not have been possible for Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Qasimi to present the plan without a greater chance of forming a new government.

Al-Jaidi has been in talks with al-Qaeda for the past few days and has vowed not to disband popular mobilization units that voluntarily step down from power to the armed forces in any other routine formation.

The plan includes setting a deadline for factions that want to join the commander’s office to determine their affairs, if the government decides to consider groups that insist on contacting the leader of the Hasht militants as an illegal militant.