In an interview with Asharq al-Awsat daily, printed in London, Mohammad al-Waeli, governor of Basra, said: The arms for militias in Basra are brought from Iran, and this is no secret to anybody.

In response to the question of how those arms were smuggled in and how extended it was, Waeli said: Basra has a long border with Iran and the media and officials have proved that the arms have been brought from Iran.