Baghdad is shifting toward political stabilization and economic challenges during the fragile post-conflict phase that follows more than a month of US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian-backed militia attacks in Iraq. After hundreds of militia attacks, including strikes on US and Kurdish targets, Iraq is moving forward with long-delayed political appointments, including choosing a new president.
The Iran-backed terror group Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shiite militia, kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson in downtown Baghdad on March 31. The US government had previously warned Kittleson of a threat against her and the group’s desire to kill or abduct journalists.
Unclaimed but likely American airstrikes have continued against Iran-backed Iraqi militias, with one strike reportedly killing a senior Kataib Hezbollah commander. The US and Kataib Hezbollah have subsequently agreed to a temporary, conditional pause in attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad, though other hostilities in the country continue.
The unclaimed airstrikes, likely conducted by the United States as part of US-Israeli operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran, have targeted several Tehran-allied militias in Iraq and reportedly caused significant casualties. The US has not commented on these operations, which include over 30 reported strikes on the groups, who continue to attack US forces in the region.
Iran-backed Iraqi militias claimed a series of drone and missile attacks against the “US presence” in the region on March 4 and 5, many targeting Iraqi Kurdistan, where significant American forces are located. US and Israeli forces are also likely operating against the Tehran-allied militias in Iraq, as both the militias and official government sources have reported a US presence and unidentified strikes against these groups.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), a coalition of Iran-backed Shiite militias, claimed over a dozen drone attacks against “enemy bases in Iraq and the region” and issued statements of support for the Tehran regime in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The groups are also responding to unclaimed airstrikes on Iraq that have reportedly killed at least six people, including four confirmed Iraqi militiamen.
Five Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have announced a coalition aimed at opposing Iran’s regime. The alliance, unveiled at a joint press conference on February 22, includes the PDKI, PJAK, PAK, Komala, and the Khabat Organization. The move comes amid heightened US-Iran tensions and renewed threats from the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, which warned the Kurdistan Region against cooperating with “foreign forces.”
On January 28, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki stated that he rejected “blatant American interference in Iraq’s internal affairs,” a day after US President Donald Trump said Maliki, who is a leading contender for the country’s next prime minister, should not retake the office. US envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya also said that Iranian-backed militias should be prevented from having power in the next government. Separately, several Iranian-backed militias threatened to support Iran in any conflict with the US or Israel and sent forces to the border with Syria amid fighting between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shiite militia, warned the United States that if Washington launched a war with Iran, the group would attack American bases in the region. The threat comes amid rising tension between Washington and Tehran as the Islamic Republic continues a brutal crackdown on demonstrations that began nearly three weeks ago.
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq are reportedly considering an initiative to disarm and place their weapons under government control. The militias, part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), have been incorporated as independent units within Iraq’s security forces since 2016. Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most powerful of militias, has rejected disarmament, while the US lauded the potential development.
Safaa al Mashhadani was reportedly killed in a car bombing on October 15 in Tarmiya, a town north of Baghdad. Mashhadani was a candidate with the Sovereignty (Siyada) Alliance, an important Sunni party running in the country’s November elections. Iraqi media reports indicate the attack has the hallmarks of a targeted assassination, and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) called for a transparent investigation.
The Islamic Republic has long backed proxy groups abroad, but their role inside Iran is less well-known. Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militias, and the Afghan Fatemiyoun Brigade have helped suppress dissent within Iran, and recent reports of their harassment of female students have sparked new outrage.
On September 17, the US State Department designated four Iran-backed Iraqi militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). These groups, previously listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), have received support from the regime in Tehran and attacked US forces and interests in Iraq and across the Middle East.
Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped by Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah in March 2023 and holds Israeli and Russian citizenship, was freed in Iraq on September 9, according to President Donald Trump. The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office claimed that security agencies in the country had secured her release, and they would pursue those “involved in this crime and hold them accountable.” A source reported to be from Kataib Hezbollah claimed the group had released her to avoid conflict in Iraq and in light of the US withdrawal from the country.
Iraqi and American officials announced that the US-led counter-Islamic State operation in Iraq began its transition to a bilateral security agreement. US forces have begun moving from Iraqi bases as part of the first phase of the shift, which will end “the coalition’s military mission” in the country.
Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, was involved in a deadly shooting at Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture on July 27. Despite the support for Iran-backed militias from many Shiite politicians, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani announced the results of an investigation that found the militia responsible for the incident and recommended consequences.
Tensions in Iraq have grown in the wake of the Israeli attack on Iran on June 12. Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias have increased their threats against US forces and held rallies against the US presence in Iraq. The Iraqi government has sent security forces to Nineveh Governorate to prevent the area from being used by militias to launch rockets. In addition, several drones launched by Iran have crashed in Iraq.
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have refrained from attacking Israel directly since the start of the war between Israel and Iran on June 13. However, there have been two unclaimed attacks on US interests in Iraq since Operation Rising Lion began, and the Iraqi groups have ramped up anti-Israeli and anti-American rhetoric, threatening US interests and mobilizing supporters through propaganda channels.
The Islamic Resistance of Iraq has carried out more than 180 such attacks against US forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan since October 7, 2023. The most recent attack risks drawing US forces into an offensive role in Israel’s war with Iran. Thus far, the US has attempted only to provide defensive support for Israel in the conflict.
Kataib Imam Ali is the sixth Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq that has been listed by the US as a terrorist organization. The group’s secretary general was previously designated for his ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps–Qods Force and its former commander, Qassem Soleimani.
Reports in Iraqi, Israeli, Lebanese, and US media indicate that efforts continue to free Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped in Iraq 800 days ago in March 2023. The Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah is believed to be holding Tsurkov in Iraq, and pressure on the Iraqi government to find and free her has increased over the last six months. Recent reports indicate that Tsurkov could be exchanged for several people held in different countries who Kataib Hezbollah wants to be freed.
Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement on April 8 rejecting a Reuters report that said it was considering disarmament. Iraq has been under pressure to rein in Iranian-backed militias that are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), of which Kataib Hezbollah is a key member. A member of Iraq’s parliament said the PMF is essential for defending Iraq, and the organization’s units conducted several operations across the country, showcasing their presence.
On March 5, Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassem al Araji said that Baghdad is trying to locate kidnapped researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli and Russian citizen who was abducted in March 2023. Israeli officials have blamed Kataib Hezbollah for kidnapping Tsurkov, and her case has received increased attention in the last two months since the Trump administration entered office.
Falih al Fayyadh, the head of Iraq’s largely pro-Iranian Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), traveled to Beirut for the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on February 23. Other senior members of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq also attended the funeral, and several militia leaders put out statements. Hezbollah-affiliated media claimed approximately 200,000 Iraqis came to Lebanon for the event, though this number is unverified.
Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, collectively part of the Hashd al Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units), face increasing calls to place their arms under state control or lay them down entirely. The fall of the Assad regime, a new administration in Washington, and the Gaza ceasefire have put these groups under the spotlight in Iraqi politics.
Iraq’s Shia militias play a unique part in Iran’s Axis of Resistance and present distinct challenges for the US, Israel, and the Iraqi state. Notably, a more direct conflict between the militias and the US and Israel would imperil the Iraqi government’s ability to balance its relationships with Iran and the US, along with the country’s essential stability.
Saraya al-Ashtar, a U.S. designated terrorist organization, and Saraya Wa’ad Allah send their condolences and congratulations to the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades.
The Hezbollah Brigades have now joined other Iranian proxies and sponsored groups in issuing threats against the United States over the ongoing war in Israel.
Another member of Tehran’s “Axis of Resistance” has been sanctioned by Washington. How the U.S. enforces its penalty is set to matter more than its announcement.
The security official of Iran’s proxy group Kata’ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) gives Iraqi contractors until March 15 to stop working with US troops.