Syrians in Iraq face a smear campaign by Iran-backed Shiite militias, accused as security threats, with some arrested for alleged terrorist ties.

The entry of Syrian revolutionary forces into the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, followed by the first call to prayer, marked a powerful symbol of a new era—one that sealed the end of the Assad family's rule for good.

In a move that sets him apart from the Shiite bloc in the region, Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist Movement in Iraq, has firmly rejected any Iraqi involvement—by the government, the people, or militias—in Syria’s affairs.

The Iran-backed Zainabiyoun Brigade has escalated sectarian violence in Pakistan, with growing influence in attacks, assassinations, and money-laundering operations.