It has happened at least four times. In the eight-year Iran-Iraq war during 1980-88, the west and the Sunni states of the region backed Saddam Hussein, but it ended in a stalemate. People will fight and die to defend their religious identity but not necessarily for the nationality printed on their passports. Earlier in the fighting in Homs and Damascus in Syria, it was the non-Sunni districts that were the strongpoints of the regime. He added: "These militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region."

Source: Irish Independent May 19, 2019 09:22 UTC