the pilgrims were members of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. However, later in 2017 following the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack in Syria, Muqtada al-Sadr called for Syria's president Bashar al-Assad to step down from power. References 2003 establishments in Iraq Conservative parties in Iraq Iraqi nationalism Islamic political parties in Iraq Nationalist parties in Iraq Political parties established in 2003 Pro-government factions of the Syrian civil war Shia Islamic political parties Axis of Resistance