A Sunni Arab Ahwazi movement calling itself the “Ahwaz Freedom Brigades” has declared the start of an armed uprising against Iran’s regime. In a statement released by the group, its leaders called on supporters to fight what they described as the “Iranian occupation” of the Ahwaz region in southwest Iran.
The group announced its goal is to establish an independent State of Ahwaz in the oil-rich Khuzestan region. They urged local Arab communities to join the revolt and confront Iranian security forces as tensions inside Iran continue to rise amid the ongoing regional conflict.
The Ahwazi people are an Arab ethnic group living mainly in southwestern Iran, especially in the province of Khuzestan, near the border with Iraq and the Persian Gulf. They are said to have close ties to Israel.
NEWSRAEL: WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
The Ahwaz region in southwest Iran contains some of the country’s most critical oil infrastructure and a large Arab minority that has long accused Tehran of discrimination and repression. If an organized armed uprising develops there, it could threaten Iran’s energy heartland and open another internal front against the Iranian regime at a time when it is already under significant military and political pressure.
