al-Mahdi Army (Jaysh al-Mahdi)

Overview

UCDP records the al-Mahdi Army as a side in armed conflict with the Government of Iraq from 2004 to 2009. (UCDP GED 26.1)

Included because MEF writers trace several of today's Iran-aligned militias to it. (meforum.org)

From MEF Research

Many Iranian-backed militias in Iraq trace their origins to the Mahdi Army, adopting Sadrist ideology even as they align more directly with Tehran.

Leaders

No individual on the OFAC SDN List as fetched for this build carries a leadership relationship or title for this group, and the US documents used here name no leader. This tab lists only people named in designation documents.

History

No dated milestones with a primary or MEF source are on file for this group yet.

Designations

The OFAC SDN List as fetched for this build has no entry for this group, and no State Department or Federal Register designation notice names it.

Activity

• 327 attacks and clashes
• 0 money and logistics events
• 0 counteractions

Events on record from 2004-04-04 to 2009-02-04.

UCDP actor names matched: al-Mahdi Army.

Open All 327 Events on the Map

MEF Coverage

MEF-written articles in the local meforum.org archive that mention this group (43 shown; the archive covers 2004-09-01 to 2026-08-28).

• Tehran Uses Khamenei’s Funeral to Reinforce That Iraq Is Still in Iran’s Orbit Ali Mahmoud, 2026-07-13
• Qatar’s Al-Sadr Gamble Ali Almrayatee, 2026-06-12
• Supporters of Shia Army that Killed Hundreds of U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Distribute Food in Nation’s Capital Ali Almrayatee, 2026-04-07
• Vindicating The Poisoned Chalice: Iran's Creeping Invasion of Iraq Ofra Bengio, 2024-12-09
• Nicholas Krohley on How to Defeat Iran's Proxy Militias Marilyn Stern, 2024-04-05
• Muqtada al-Sadr, Iraq's Dangerous Actor, Part I: Beginnings Amatzia Baram, 2022-09-28
• Muqtada al-Sadr Retires: What Next in Iraq? Seth J. Frantzman, 2022-08-30
• Tehran's Russian Connection Oved Lobel, 2022-01-01
• The Situation in Iraq: Policy Implications for the West Jonathan Spyer, 2020-03-24
• The Populist Revolt Reaches Iraq Michael J. Totten, 2018-05-22
• The National Ideological Resistance and the Local Defence Forces Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2018-01-17
• Who Is Qais al-Khazali, and Why Should You Care? Jonathan Spyer, 2017-12-15
• The U.S.-Iranian confrontation on the Syria-Iraq Borders: Interview with an Iraqi Militia Official Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2017-06-10
• Syrian Hezbollah Militias of Nubl and Zahara' Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2016-08-15
• Liwa al-Imam al-Mahdi: A Syrian Hezbollah Formation Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2016-07-23
• The Death of the Mehdi Army. The Rise, Fall, and Revival of Iraq's Most Powerful Militia 2016-01-01
• Dispatch from Iraq: the Stealth Iranian Takeover Becomes Clear Jonathan Spyer, 2015-07-31
• Iran and the Shia Militias Advance in Iraq Jonathan Spyer, Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2014-12-13
• Why the U.S. Failed in Iraq Steve Dobransky, 2014-01-01
• Violence in Iraq Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2012-11-13
• The Syrian Civil War Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2012-09-17
• Look at the big picture on Iraqi deaths Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2012-02-27
• Iran's Nukes and Israel's Dilemma Yoaz Hendel, 2012-01-01
• Assessing the Surge in Iraq Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2011-12-22
• Will Nouri al-Maliki Survive His Second Term In Office? Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2011-10-22
• No, Syria won't plunge Iraq into war Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2011-10-07
• Iraq's politicians hover above the law Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2011-09-20
• Panetta vs. U.S. Military on Iraq Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, 2011-09-13
• How the "Sons of Iraq" Stabilized Iraq Mark Wilbanks, Efraim Karsh, 2010-09-01
• Is U.S. Detention Policy in Iraq Working? Jeffrey Azarva, 2009-01-01
• Getting Religion Wrong Michael Rubin, 2008-10-01
• Iran's Revolutionary Guards - A Rogue Outfit? Michael Rubin, 2008-09-01
• Holiest Wars Timothy R. Furnish, 2007-09-01
• The U.S. Counter-propaganda Failure in Iraq Andrew Garfield, 2007-09-01
• Is Iraq in a Civil War? David A. Patten, 2007-06-01
• My Year in Iraq 2007-06-01
• Iraq in Books Michael Rubin, 2007-03-01
• Mujahideen Desecration: Beheadings, Mutilation & Muslim Iconoclasm Dawn Perlmutter, 2006-11-01
• The Road to Kerbala 2006-06-01
• Revolt on the Tigris 2006-03-01
• My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope 2006-03-01
• Are We Playing for Keeps? Michael Rubin, 2006-02-27
• Understanding Muqtada al-Sadr Nimrod Raphaeli, 2004-09-01