United States and Iraq announce 'strengthened cooperation' against attacks by pro-Iran groups

The United States and Iraq said they would “strengthen their security cooperation” to “prevent attacks,” particularly those targeting U.S. personnel and diplomatic missions, which have been hit by Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups.

Involved in the regional conflict in support of Tehran, Iraqi armed groups have carried out drone and rocket attacks against the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, as well as against U.S. military advisers with the international anti-jihadist coalition deployed in Iraq.

Those groups have also been regularly targeted by strikes attributed to Washington or Israel. On Saturday morning, an explosion was heard near Erbil airport, where the coalition is based, according to an AFP journalist, while air defenses almost daily intercept drone attacks by pro-Iran groups targeting these forces.

As part of the “strategic partnership” between Iraq and the United States, the two countries announced late Friday the creation of a “high-level joint coordination committee.” The initiative will “strengthen cooperation to prevent attacks … and ensure that Iraqi territory is not used to target the Iraqi people, Iraqi security forces, Iraqi strategic facilities, U.S. personnel, diplomatic missions and the international anti-jihadist coalition,” according to statements from the U.S. Embassy and an Iraqi security forces media cell.

The announcement follows a spike in tensions between Washington and Baghdad, a close ally of Tehran. Airstrikes targeted a base and a military hospital west of Baghdad in the Habbaniya region, killing 15 fighters from the former Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary forces on Tuesday and seven soldiers on Wednesday. The government did not directly name the United States but said Tuesday it had summoned the U.S. chargé d’affaires after the strike on the Hashd, which accused Washington of carrying out the attack.

This coalition of former paramilitaries, now integrated into state forces, includes pro-Iran armed groups, some of which are believed to act as rogue elements.

After the deadly strikes on the army, a U.S. State Department spokesperson “categorically” denied “all allegations that the United States targeted Iraqi security forces.”

Although drone attacks against the embassy have stopped over the past 10 days, they continue against other targets of pro-Iran factions. Some have targeted oil infrastructure, and an attack on March 21 struck Iraqi intelligence services in Baghdad, killing an officer.

Kataeb Hezbollah, an influential pro-Iran group also known as the Hezbollah Brigades, said late Friday it was extending by five days its unilateral truce on attacks against the U.S. Embassy.