As Iran expands its influence across the Middle East, Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia backed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, has been linked to recent attempted terror attacks on Jewish neighborhoods in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Iran International has learned.
Kataib Hezbollah, also known as the Hezbollah Brigades, is an Iraqi Shiite militia formed in 2007. The group, which is closely aligned with Iran, is part of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The US-designated group's activities are strongly supported by Iran through training, weapons and financial support.
Kataib Hezbollah has expanded beyond Iraq into Syria, where it fights alongside other Iranian-backed militias supporting the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and is now expanding into Central Asia.
Intelligence sources confirmed to Iran International that Kataib Hezbollah is conducting terrorist activities in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan through a Tajik operative identified as Muhammad Ali Burkhanov (alias Sayed Hamid al-Tajiki).
The Iraqi militant group's activities in Central Asia were first reported by Terror Alarm on X earlier this month.
Burkhanov, who has been linked to several attacks in Central Asia, reportedly studied at Iran's Al-Mustafa University, a known recruiting hub for Tehran-backed militant groups. The university operates under the Qom Seminary's Islamic Propaganda Directorate and has branches in around 60 countries, making it Iran's main outlet for promoting Shiite Islam internationally.
Al-Mustafa University has been under intense scrutiny before, especially in 2020 when it was allocated a budget of about 5 trillion riyals (about $100 million at the time), making it Iran's best-funded university. The United States imposed sanctions on the university in December 2020 for recruiting Afghan and Pakistani students to fight in Syria, and Canada followed suit in October 2022 for its involvement in recruiting foreign fighters.
Burkhanov and his operatives' involvement in Central Asia is reportedly backed by the IRGC's Quds Force 400th Division and involves the direct involvement of senior officials such as Hossein Rahmani and Hossein Rahban, who play key roles in recruiting young militiamen and collaborating with various extremist groups, including jihadists, ISIS, and the Taliban.
Recent operations linked to Kataib Hezbollah's Burkhanov include an attempted shooting at the Jewish Agency office in Almaty, an attempted arson attack on the Orr Abner Jewish Center in Almaty, and arson attacks on a farm owned by Saxovat Broiler Company in Tashkent and a warehouse owned by Neostream Company in Almaty.
Iran has a long-standing hostility towards Jewish people, which is often expressed through both direct and indirect actions. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian government has adopted an openly anti-Israel stance that often spills over into broader anti-Semitic rhetoric and actions.
The government has supported and funded various proxy organizations, including Hezbollah and Hamas, that have carried out attacks against Jewish targets throughout the Middle East and around the world. Iran's involvement in bombings, such as the 1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people, highlights Iran's long-standing plans to target Jewish communities far beyond its borders. The Islamic Republic's anti-Semitic propaganda, Holocaust denial, and calls for the destruction of Israel further fuel this deep-rooted hostility, creating an environment where anti-Semitic violence is not only tolerated but encouraged.
