Iraqi Shiite militias join Iran in claiming 16 drone strikes against 'enemy bases in Iraq and the region'
Iraqi Shiite militias are backing Iran in its conflict with the United States and Israel, claiming 16 drone strikes on “enemy bases” in Iraq and the region in response to airstrikes on Tehran.
Iraqi Shiite militias support Iran against the US and Israel. PHOTO: archive
Iraqi militias claimed 16 drone attacks against “enemy bases in Iraq and the region”
in response to US and Israeli airstrikes on the Islamic Republic of Iran, reports longwarjournal.org, the news site of the US think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a national security and foreign policy research organization.
The Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI), a coalition of Iran-backed Shiite militias designated by the United States as a terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the February 28 attacks in Iraq, without specifying the exact targets. At least two Iraqi bases – the Basrah Operations Command and the Imam Ali base in Dhi Qar – were hit either by local militias or directly by Iran.
In the Kurdistan region, local media reported numerous interceptions of drones and missiles, mostly near the US consulate and military bases.
“We must engage the US in a long war of attrition”
Saraya Awliya al Dam, a front group of Iran-backed militias, claimed an attack on US military personnel at Erbil International Airport “with a squadron of drones”.
Iraqi Shiite organizations view the Kurdistan Regional Government with suspicion because of its ties to the US, and have previously attacked several targets in the region. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq also carried out hundreds of attacks on Israel and US bases during the Gaza War, following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
At the same time, the groups Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada and Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba announced that they are joining the fight in response to attacks on Iran and violations of Iraqi sovereignty.
With most US troops having withdrawn from Iraq in January 2026, but some remaining in Kurdistan, Kataib Hezbollah has threatened a prolonged conflict with the United States.
“We need to engage the US in a long war of attrition so that there is no longer an American presence in the region, especially in Iraq,” the leaders of the group declared.
Akram al Kaabi, the leader of Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, condemned the US attack on Iran and promised that the group would join the fight: “Our mujahideen and heroes are not the ones who say “if only we were with you” and then hide on the battlefield”.
Abu Ala al Walae, leader of Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada, asserts that Iran's attacks on neighboring Arab countries are justified, stating that the targets targeted were only American targets and that US personnel “fled their bases in the Gulf and took shelter in hotels and civilian buildings.”
In Baghdad's Green Zone, where the American embassy is located, protests were organized, with some of the participants carrying the flags of groups supported by Iran.
Unclaimed strikes in Iraq
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an official Iraqi security institution made up of several Tehran-backed groups, announced that “an unknown actor” had carried out an airstrike on Iraq on February 28.
“The Jurf al-Nasr area, north of Babil province, was hit by several airstrikes at 11:50 am, killing two people and injuring three others,” submitted the PMF.
The attack has not been claimed, but it is likely to have been carried out by US or Israeli forces.
Another Iranian-backed group, Asaib Ahl al Haq, announced on March 1 the death of four members, claiming the attack was a joint US-Israeli airstrike, and declared its support for Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
