In an interview on Sep. 20, with Al-Hayatt Arabic daily published in London, Ambassador Ryan Crocker emphasized: “provoking violence and supporting armed Iraqi militias are under direct approval of Iranian regime supreme leader Khamenei.”

He added: I disagree with suggestion that Iranians who support the Iraqi armed militias are outside control of the regime. They can not conduct these activities without regime’s permission and it is not spontaneous. The Iranian regime’s motivation is to make violence in Iraq which has been approved by Khamenei.

Crocker said: the United States has decisive evidences indicating Iranian regime direct involvement in training and arming the Iraqi militias. We have found weapons which were made last year in Iran. These arms are used against Iraqi civilians and Coalition Forces. We have confessions of members of secret cells which told us Iranian regime trained them and supported them.