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Iraqi Shi'ite militia leader Watheq Al-Battat explained during a March 8, 2025, interview on Samarra TV (Iraq) the motive behind Shi'ite intervention in the Gaza war, despite the high cost. He stated that failure to intervene would have brought shame upon their ideology as Shi'ites. Al-Battat emphasized that if Iran had not intervened on behalf of Palestine, it would have lost its ruling power. He claimed that all bombs used against the Israeli military in Gaza, rockets launched by Hezbollah, missiles and drones from Yemen, and weapons used by Iraqi militias to attack Israel were Iranian.
Al-Battat criticized Russian interference in the Palestinian cause, saying it has been more beneficial to Israel than American intervention. Al-Battat agreed with the interviewer’s suggestion that the October 7 attack was a "trap set for the Shi'ite Resistance Axis," noting that the Shi'ites had fallen into the trap and highlighting the loss of key figures such as Hassan Nasrallah, Hashem Safieddine and senior "martyrs" in the Iraqi resistance. He further criticized Hamas for retreating after October 7, failing to press the attack deeper into Israel, which he described as "stupid," and ultimately leading to Israel’s bombings and the destruction of Gaza.
Watheq Al-Battat: "We needed to intervene [in the Gaza war], even though the price was very high. It was better than if we avoided intervening, which would have brought shame upon us and end our ideology, the Shi'ite regimes are ideological. When your ideology suffers a blow, you lose your ruling power. If the Iranians had not intervened in the Palestinian issue, they would have lost their ruling power. What does it mean when an Islamic country which has tens of thousands of missiles refrains from intervening in the Gaza [war]? All the bombs used against the Zionist army in Gaza were Iranian. All the rockets launched by Hizbullah were Iranian rockets. All the missiles and drones launched from Yemen were Iranian. Everything that the Iraqi resistance used to attack Israel was Iranian-made.
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"Russia's intervention in the Palestinian cause was very negative. Russia has benefited the Zionist enemy. There are over a million Jews of Russian origin in the Zionist entity. Therefore, the issue of Israel is seen as a central issue in Russia. It was the Russians who prevented Bashar Al-Assad from intervening in the war. They also prevented Bashar Al-Assad from using the air defense systems. It was the Russians who allowed the Zionist entity to attack the weapons depots in Syria – both the Syrian depots or those of Hizbullah... Russian intervention has served Israel more than American intervention by orders of magnitude.
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"Imam Khomeini used to say: America is filthy, but Britain is filthier, but the Soviet Union is filthier and more impure than both.
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"October 7..."
Interviewer: "October 7 was a trap set for the Shi'ite Resistance Axis."
Interviewer: "Of course. It was a trap and we fell in it. We have lost Hassan Nasrallah, Hashem Safieddine, the first rank of Hizbullah leaders, and senior martyrs even in the Iraqi resistance axis.
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"Why did Hamas retreat back to Gaza [on October 7]? After all, they were [supposed to be] martyrdom-seekers."
Interviewer: "Are you telling me that Hamas conspired against the Shi'ite Resistance Axis?"
Al-Battat: "No, no. They did not conspire. Their behavior was stupid. This is stupid behavior."
Interviewer: "They should have pressed on..."
Al-Battat: "Yes, they should have pressed on to the end. Why did they pull back? If you pull back, [Israel] would bomb you. It would destroy Gaza. This is what happened ultimately. Why did Hamas pull back?"
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