Iraq Balances Pressure From US and Iran Amid Militia Crackdowns and Diplomatic Moves
Recent Saudi-American airstrikes targeted pro-Iranian militia headquarters in Iraq, highlighting the ongoing power struggle between the United States and Iran in the region. These attacks occurred amid efforts by Iraq's new Prime Minister, Ali Al-Zaydi, to navigate pressure from both Washington and Tehran. The US demands the disarmament of pro-Iranian militias accused of attacking Saudi Arabia, with some militias agreeing to cease military activities and pursue political paths, while others resist and call for a full US withdrawal.
Prime Minister Al-Zaydi recently visited the US, meeting President Donald Trump, but shortly after traveled to Iran, meeting top officials including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. During this visit, Al-Zaydi accompanied Ghalibaf to a memorial for Iranian leaders killed in recent years, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, whose 2020 killing was ordered by Trump. Iranian media framed this as a direct message to the US.
Iran maintains significant influence in Iraq through militias under the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi), a coalition of mainly pro-Iranian Iraqi militias established in 2014 to fight ISIS but considered part of Iraq's official security forces. The US-backed plan calls for these militias to disarm and integrate fully under state control, a move Iran opposes fearing loss of influence.
The recent airstrikes killed 20 people and wounded 32, targeting PMF bases across Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala. Saudi Arabia confirmed the strikes targeted militias linked to attacks on its oil facilities, though the militias deny responsibility, blaming Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The "Islamic Resistance in Iraq," another pro-Iran militia umbrella group, denied drone attacks on Saudi territory and warned Riyadh against retaliatory actions.
Iraq’s leadership faces a complex dilemma: restraining pro-Iranian militias aligned with the Shia-Iranian axis, maintaining relations with the US, and opposing attacks on Iraqi soil and PMF forces, which remain legitimate in Iraq. These evolving power dynamics are critical for regional stability and also impact Israel, which has faced missile fire from Iraqi pro-Iranian militias in recent years.
