Alma mater University of Baghdad Role Member of Parliament | Name Hadi Al-Amiri Religion Islam (Shi'a) Unit Badr Organization | |
 | ||
Born 1954 (age 60–61)
Diyala, Iraq Battles/wars Iran-Iraq War
2014 Iraqi conflict Education Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Baghdad Battles and wars Iran–Iraq War, Iraqi Civil War Similar People Qasem Soleimani, Nouri al‑Maliki, Muqtada al‑Sadr, Haider al‑Abadi, Ammar al‑Hakim | ||
Political party Badr Organization | ||
Hadi Al-Ameri (Arabic: هادي العامري) is the former Iraqi minister of transportation and the head of the Badr Organization, which was the military wing of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC). He is a member of the Iraqi parliament under the United Iraqi Alliance list, which mainly represents religious Shi'a parties.
Amiri fought on the side of the Iranians, as part of the Badr Brigade, during the Iran-Iraq War.
As leader of the Badr Organization, Hadi Al-Amiri had very close ties to the Iranian leadership, and in particular the Islamic Revolutionary Guards which was responsible for training the Badr Brigade during Saddam Hussein's rule. Hadi Al-Amiri was also one of the first Shi'a politicians to call for regional federation in the south of Iraq.
Amiri has denied claims that he has overseen flights passing through Iraqi airspace from Iran to Syria containing shipments of weapons to help the Syrian Government in the Syrian Civil War. Amiri has however proclaimed his affection for Qassem Suleimani, the Commander of Quds Force, a division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps believed to be playing an instrumental part in supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the conflict. Amiri told The New Yorker “I love Qassem Suleimani! He is my dearest friend.”
He was the commander of Iraqi forces in the operation to liberate Jurf Al Sakhar during 2014 Iraqi conflict. As a commander in al-Hashd al-Shaabi, he has been active in the rest of operations against ISIL. He has been described as "perhaps the most powerful and pro-Iranian" leader in the al-Hashd al-Shaabi and often meets with Brett H. McGurk, US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL.
He is fluent in Persian.