An American institute calls for continued pressure on Iraq to end Iran’s influence.
An American institute calls for continued pressure on Iraq to end Iran’s influence.
2026-03-09 09:40
Shafaq News – Special Translation
The US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies called on the United States to continue pressing to counter Iran’s grip on Iraq, arguing that airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed militias are likely part of US-Israeli operations, but without anyone claiming responsibility.
The American Institute, in a report entitled “Working on Another Front: Strikes Against Pro-Tehran Militias in Iraq,” translated by Shafaq News Agency, indicated that “Shia militias in Iraq are claiming responsibility for dozens of attacks against the American presence in Iraq.”
At the same time, Baghdad is walking a tightrope between its partnership with the United States and Iran, according to the report, but Tehran’s influence is preventing the Iraqi government from keeping the country out of the war.
The report recalled attacks on the Popular Mobilization Forces on March 7, including a strike on a Popular Mobilization Forces base in Mosul.
The report continued that US-Israeli operations have targeted numerous Popular Mobilization Forces and “militias” bases since the beginning of the attacks against Iran on February 28, 2026, including groups designated as “terrorist” by the US, including Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq.
The report argued that these airstrikes highlight a fundamental issue in Iraq: that there are Iranian “proxies” operating under the guise of the Iraqi government’s legitimacy, and that despite the United States designating many of these groups’ leaders as “terrorists,” this has not prevented these leaders from enjoying broad political influence.
The report suggested that Iran’s Iraqi partners were behind more than 40 drone and missile attacks against the American presence in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region since February 28, noting that these groups claimed responsibility for more than 12 attacks daily, although these numbers may be exaggerated.
The report considered the Popular Mobilization Forces to be a test for the upcoming Baghdad government and the American commitment, explaining that the success of the Donald Trump administration in 2025 in obstructing a bill supported by Tehran to strengthen the Popular Mobilization Forces shows that continuous American pressure can counter Iran’s grip on Iraq.
The report concluded by noting that to achieve similar victories in the future, “the Trump administration must adhere to its red lines that Nouri al-Maliki, the current Shiite candidate allied with Iran, cannot be prime minister, and that no militia leaders can hold senior positions, or Iraq will have to face a decline in American military and economic support,” according to the report.
shafaq.com
