Iraq struggles to thwart Iran proxies' attacks as US ups rhetoric
The Iraqi government is trying to avoid becoming a battleground in the Israel-Hamas war as Iran-backed militias continue to attack US forces there, but Baghdad has limited options to deter them.
Iran-backed militias in Iraq are continuing to claim attacks on US forces in the country despite diplomatic pressure from the Biden administration and subsequent US military action. The continuing attacks demonstrate the difficulties the Iraqi government faces as it seeks to avoid becoming a battleground in the Israel-Hamas war.
The United States conducted airstrikes targeting a facility in eastern Syria that the Pentagon said was used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Islamic Resistance of Iraq, an umbrella term for Iran-backed militias operating in Iraq, claimed on Tuesday that they “targeted” US forces at the Erbil International Airport, Al-Harir and two sites in neighboring Syria, according to the group’s Telegram channels. The Kurdistan Region’s Counter Terrorism Department reported three drone attacks on the Erbil airport in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
US forces in both countries have come under attack at least 41 times since Oct. 17, according to the Pentagon. American officials blame Iran-backed groups. The Islamic Resistance of Iraq says the attacks are a response to Israel’s strikes on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Roughly 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government as part of the global coalition to fight the Islamic State.
