Even if Iraq pleads it will disarm militias, groups will still be used by Iran to attack - analysis

Iranian-backed militias are once again leveraging Iraq to launch attacks on neighboring countries and destabilize the Middle East. Recent assaults on Saudi Arabia and the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, with potential strikes also targeting Syria, underscore Iran's ongoing efforts to operationalize these proxy forces.

The roots of these militias trace back to Shi'ite armed groups that emerged after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, some with histories stretching back to the 1980s. Figures like Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who commanded Kataib Hezbollah and was killed in a 2020 drone strike alongside IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani, exemplify the deep ties between these groups and Iran's security apparatus.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force has consistently provided funding, weapons, and training to these Iraqi factions. Groups such as Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah, which formed around 2006, gained prominence after the 2014 ISIS offensive. Although many Shi'ite militias were integrated into the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and subsequently Iraq's security structure, numerous factions have preserved strong connections with Tehran, wielding significant political, economic, and IRGC influence.

The United States has designated several major Iran-backed Iraqi militias, including Kataib Hezbollah and Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. These groups, often acting in concert with Hezbollah, pose a persistent threat to regional stability, as evidenced by their past sophisticated attacks and their continued operations in areas like Syria.