Iraq: From Fallujah & Mosul to US-Iran Tensions & Shiite Militias

Iraq is increasingly caught in the crosshairs of escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, with recent strikes targeting Iran-aligned groups within the country. The conflict is deepening economic woes for Iraq, which is already facing significant political instability.

On Sunday, the U.S. Carried out strikes against the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), also known as Hashed al-Shaabi, in Baghdad following attacks on a U.S. Diplomatic and logistics center at Baghdad International Airport. According to a statement from a local emergency crisis cell, three locations were struck by drones and airstrikes, though no casualties were reported as the positions were deserted.

The strikes occurred after Iraqi security officials reported four explosions near Camp Victory, a U.S. Logistics center at the airport. Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig reported that some drones “breached air defenses and caused damage, more symbolic damage than anything else.” Iraqi security forces have since established checkpoints around Baghdad in an attempt to intercept further drone attacks launched from within the city.

Iraq’s Complex Political Landscape

Iraq’s current instability is rooted in a long history of conflict, beginning with the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The disbandment of the Iraqi military and the ban on Saddam Hussein’s Baath party created a power vacuum that allowed armed groups, including the Islamic State, to flourish. Even after the defeat of ISIS, Iraq continues to grapple with reintegrating Sunni communities and demobilizing powerful Shiite militias.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, over one million people remain internally displaced in Iraq and three million require humanitarian assistance as the country attempts to rebuild. Tensions also persist with Kurdish groups seeking greater autonomy in the north, following a failed independence referendum in 2017.

The recent escalation of the Israel-Hamas war has further deteriorated Iraq’s stability, with Iran-backed militias increasingly targeting U.S. Forces in the west and north of the country. This has transformed Iraq into a key front in the broader conflict between the U.S. And Iran.

The Role of Shia Militias

Shia militias have played a significant, yet complex, role in Iraq’s recent history. They stepped in to fight ISIS when the Iraqi army collapsed in 2014, but some groups have been accused of sectarian violence. Reports of detentions, disappearances, and summary executions of Sunnis by militia members raise concerns about a potential resurgence of insurgency.

Groups like the Badr Organization, one of the oldest and most powerful militias, have a long history in Iraqi politics, dating back to the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Their allegiances and ideologies are varied, adding to the complexity of the situation.

The current strikes against the PMF highlight the ongoing dilemma of militias embedded within the Iraqi state and the consequences of their actions for Iraqi sovereignty, and stability. As the conflict between the U.S. And Iran intensifies, Iraq is likely to remain a central, and vulnerable, front.