Iraq wants to survive: Baghdad is restraining pro-Iranian militias while flirting with Tehran
The American-Saudi attack against the headquarters of Al-Hashd al-Shaabi puts the new Iraqi Prime Minister in a trap. While the US demands the dismantling of the pro-Iranian militias, Tehran is tightening its grip – and the consequences reach as far as Israel.
The Saudi-American strikes carried out overnight (between Tuesday and Wednesday) against the headquarters of the Al-Hashd al-Shaabi organization in Iraq occurred during a period of intense power struggles between the United States and Iran. These events highlight the regional importance of Iraq, which often remains outside the central discourse. Iraq, led by the new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, is dealing with increasing pressure from two directions.
Washington demands the disarmament of pro-Iranian militias, which are accused of attacking Saudi Arabia. Some of these groups have agreed to abandon military activity in favor of a political path, but others firmly refuse, issuing threats and demanding a full American withdrawal. Prime Minister al-Zaidi visited the US this month for his first meeting with President Donald Trump, but shortly after, he traveled to Iran. In Tehran, he met with the Iranian leadership, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Al-Zaidi also visited a memorial for senior Iranian officials killed in recent years, including Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Iran maintains significant influence in Iraq through militias loyal to it that operate under the Al-Hashd al-Shaabi umbrella. Established in 2014 to fight ISIS, the organization is officially considered part of the Iraqi security forces, despite its known loyalty to Tehran. The US-led initiative to disarm these militias requires them to separate from Al-Hashd al-Shaabi, surrender their weapons, and come under full state control. Iran fears this move, as it would distance the country from its decision-making process.
The overnight strikes targeted several official headquarters of Al-Hashd al-Shaabi in the provinces of Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala, resulting in 20 deaths and 32 injuries, along with significant material damage. Saudi Arabia confirmed that it targeted militia facilities linked to attacks on the kingdom's oil infrastructure. Meanwhile, the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" denied accusations regarding drone attacks on Saudi territory, calling them an attempt to justify the kingdom's inability to respond to threats from Yemen.
The Iraqi leadership is currently trapped, struggling to maintain stability while balancing relations between the US and Iran. Baghdad is trying to restrain pro-Iranian militias without allowing strikes on its territory, as Al-Hashd al-Shaabi remains a legitimate body within the country. The shifting balance of power in Iraq is of critical importance to Israel, which has faced numerous launches from the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" in recent years.
