Pro-Iran Iraqi Militias Allowed To Study At Tehran University

Tehran University officials say members of Iraq's Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi militias and other proxies of the Islamic Republic can study at Iranian universities.

Tehran University's public relations office said the decision was made in a meeting attended by the head of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's representatives at the universities and the education deputy of Hashd al-Shaabi on Sunday.

"We apply scientific standards to our friends in Hashd al-Shaabi more than other foreign students, because our goal is to improve the professional capabilities of Muslim fighters," said Dean of Tehran University Mohammad Moqimi at the meeting.

The Islamic Republic's efforts to train the Hashd al-Shaabi come in a situation that in recent months many reports have indicated expansion of cooperation between Tehran and Iraqi militia groups.

Last month, Iran International disclosed information about the role of the Islamic Republic in the establishment of the engineering arm of the Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi.

According to the information, the Islamic Republic has obtained permits for the establishment of a company for this purpose in exchange for supporting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani to win his office.

The Muhandis General Company (Sharakat al-Muhandis al-Amma) takes its name from Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the former deputy commander of Hashd al-Shaabi -- also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) -- and a close comrade of former IRGC’s extraterritorial Quds force commander Qassem Soleimani. They were both killed in January 2020 by a US drone strike.

The Muhandis company seeks to become the Iraqi version of Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, IRGC’s engineering and contracting arm. Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarter is one of Iran's largest contractors in industrial and development projects.