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.
Tehran’s partners and sympathizers have arranged protests across the region against the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, especially the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Some of the demonstrations have turned violent and present a danger to the local US diplomatic presence and civilians.
Iraqi militias backed by Iran have continued to fire drones and missiles at American bases in Iraq and in the region. Both the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Saraya Awliya al Dam have claimed responsibility for the strikes. Collectively, the groups have claimed dozens of operations against American bases since March 1.
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.
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.
On November 11, Iraqis voted in the country’s sixth parliamentary election since 2006. More than 30 million people were eligible to vote, and estimates say turnout was around 55 percent. There were 329 seats up for election, with Iraqi parties divided along sectarian and ethnic lines. On the eve of the election, US officials met with their Iraqi counterparts to discuss future security cooperation. Meanwhile, Iran is closely monitoring the election results as pro-Iranian parties and militias seek to secure seats in parliament.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al Sudani on October 21, discussing the “urgency in disarming Iran-backed militias that undermine Iraq’s sovereignty.” Sudani told the US to “avoid unilateral decisions in Iraq.” The call followed increased US sanctions on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and individuals linked to them. Separately, Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al Araji visited Iran and met with the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while IRGC-Qods Force Commander Esmail Qaani visited Iraq to discuss upcoming elections with Shiite political parties.
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.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced American objections to pending Iraqi legislation concerning the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an entity largely composed of pro-Iranian militias. Iraq is attempting to pass a law to protect and legitimize the PMF as an autonomous security organization separate from other government military or security agencies.
On July 5, northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government blamed the Iraqi federal government’s Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) for drone attacks impacting Iraqi Kurdistan. An Iraqi official rejected the accusations. Since June 30, there have been numerous drone attacks targeting the autonomous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq. The PMF and Iran have been behind attacks in the area over the past several years, including targeting US forces and Iranian dissident groups.
Suspected Iran-backed militias targeted bases in Iraq that are known to have housed US troops and contractors as the ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect. The Trump administration did not respond to last night’s attacks or previous attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria.
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.
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.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani announced the elements of his electoral alliance for Iraq’s November 2025 elections. The coalition includes current and former Shiite politicians as well as Faleh al Fayyadh, a Sudani ally and chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Reports are emerging that numerous Iraqi militias are integrating into the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state institution Iraqi leaders see as a way to ward off pressure from Washington to bring all weapons under the government’s control. However, the PMF is a hotbed for Iranian influence and will only further entrench the Tehran regime in Iraq.
The Coordination Framework, Iraq’s ruling bloc of Shiite political parties, has announced that its members will run on separate lists in Iraq’s November 2025 election and reform the alliance following the vote. Elements of the bloc have disagreed strongly over key issues since the current government’s formation in 2022.
Many Iraqi Shiites have showcased a deep hatred of Syrian interim President Ahmad al Sharaa and his new government following the fall of dictator Bashar al Assad. Sharaa’s unpopularity can be explained by his history as a jihadist, as well as the Iran-led Axis of Resistance’s defeat in Syria.
Iraqi political and militia leaders are reportedly responding to pressure from the US to disband Iran-backed militias in Iraq. However, the progress of government efforts and the ultimate status of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), primarily supported by Iran, remain uncertain.
Violent explosions hit the Kalsu base in Iraq, amid speculation of Israeli involvement; no party has claimed responsibility. Recent attacks on US soldiers in Syria and Iraq, after a hiatus, may signal a resurgence of violence against US presence, as Iraqi factions debate approaches towards US withdrawal.
President Biden blamed Iranian-backed militias for killing three US service members and injuring others following a drone attack on a base in Jordan.
Today’s strike is the first to target a commander of the Iranian-backed militias. Abu Taqwa Al Si’adi was a commander in the Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, a U.S.-designated terror organization.
The the U.S. military accused Iran of directly carrying out attacks on U.S. forces. “close-range ballistic missiles” were used in a recent attack against U.S. forces.
“Hezbollah Brigades has the capacity to fight against its enemies and confront them by relying on the internal resources of the resistance,” a key Hezbollah Brigades official said. “We are ready for a war of attrition that may last for years, firmly believing in victory.”
Falih al-Fayyadh, the Chairman of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces and the former National Security Advisor to the Iraq’s Prime Minister, was identified as a member of an “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Force Qods Force supported crisis cell” that supported attacks on protesters in 2019.