On June 22, a video clip circulated on Arab Twitter accounts claiming to show an Iranian who was captured in Fallujah, Iraq. The Iranian is shown in front of three armed militants. Their affiliation is not clear from the video. [Update: the video is from 2005]

Islamic State-affiliated media outlets have not propagated the video as of yet.

The purported Iranian national told the camera in Farsi, “I am Mohammad Saber Bayat, from the city of Hamedan, from Boo Ali neighborhood. I have not married, and my family is in Iran.”

Bayat’s purpose in Fallujah is unclear, and the video did not give any indication as to why he is in Fallujah. Iranian-backed Shia militias have been fighting on the outskirts of the city, and elements of the Iraqi military have entered the city and recently taken control of the government center.

Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders including Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Qods Force, and Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Ground Forces, have been spotted at the Fallujah front. Iranian fighters have also embedded with Iraqi militias in the recent operations.

Amir Toumaj is a independent analyst and contributor to FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.