A boy holds an Iraqi flag near the Iranian embassy during a gathering following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, April 8, 2026. (Credit: Ahmed Saad/ Reuters)
Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq stayed out of the 12 day war in June. This time, like other groups in the “Axis of Resistance,” they stepped in to support Tehran against the Israeli and U.S. attack launched on Feb. 28.In addition to drone strikes on diplomatic missions and U.S. bases in Iraq, the groups also reportedly launched hundreds of drones at Gulf countries, according to the Wall Street Journal. The escalation has given the confrontation an almost existential dimension for these factions, nearly as much as for their patron.Washington has also stepped up pressure on Baghdad to act against them.Washington had already stepped up efforts to influence Iraq’s political scene after the legislative elections last November. U.S. President Donald Trump warned against the appointment of Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister. Maliki is the candidate...
Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq stayed out of the 12 day war in June. This time, like other groups in the “Axis of Resistance,” they stepped in to support Tehran against the Israeli and U.S. attack launched on Feb. 28.In addition to drone strikes on diplomatic missions and U.S. bases in Iraq, the groups also reportedly launched hundreds of drones at Gulf countries, according to the Wall Street Journal. The escalation has given the confrontation an almost existential dimension for these factions, nearly as much as for their patron.Washington has also stepped up pressure on Baghdad to act against them.Washington had already stepped up efforts to influence Iraq’s political scene after the legislative elections last November. U.S. President Donald Trump warned against the appointment of Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister. Maliki is the...
