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On June 7, 2023, an Iran-backed Iraqi Telegram channel which describes itself as the "best friends of Russia in Iraq" – called on its subscribers to pray for the Russian Armed Forces amid an ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine.
On Telegram,[1] the channel posted an image depicting Russian soldiers standing before Russian President Putin and the Russian flag. Pro-Russia social media accounts have previously used the image in posts on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks.[2]
Captioning the image, the channel wrote: "Your prayers for the army of great Russia as it now fights against the American coalition of evil and repels the counteroffensive supported by the NATO alliance." A LGBTQ+ pride flag emoji followed the phrase "NATO alliance" in the post; Iran-backed social media outlets regularly associate NATO with the flag in posts aimed at denigrating the Western alliance.
Similarly, Telegram channels affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq also called for support for Russia. For example, on June 8, a Telegram channel which is affiliated with the militia Ashab Al-Kahf, published the same post verbatim as the pro-Russia Telegram channel.[3]
Iran-backed social media outlets have remained staunch supporters of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Telegram channels such as "Sabereen News," which is affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq, have variously championed President Putin, Russian generals, and the Wagner Group, while denigrating Ukrainian President Zelensky and NATO.[4] This pro-Russia information campaign by Iran-backed social media channels coincides with an uptick in engagement between Russian and Iranian proxy groups across the Middle East.[5]
[1] Telegram, June 7, 2023.
[2] Facebook, August 31, 2022.
[3] Telegram, June 8, 2023.
[4] See MEMRI JTTM report Putin's Friends In Iraq: Russia's Burgeoning Partnership With Sabereen News, The Mouthpiece Of The Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq (Part I), April 24, 2023.
[5] See MEMRI JTTM report Russia's Wartime Ties To Iran-Backed Designated Terrorist Groups Threatens Regional Security, U.S. Interests In Middle East, June 9, 2023.
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