How Iran Built Iraq’s Powerful Network of Militias — and Why It Matters Now

Joint US-Saudi strikes on Iran-backed factions this week exposed the depth of Tehran’s armed proxies embedded across Iraq’s security apparatus, reigniting debate over whether Baghdad can prevent its territory from becoming a launchpad for wider regional conflict.

Joint US-Saudi strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq on Wednesday exposed the depth of Tehran’s military network inside the country, where militias have evolved from insurgent movements into some of the most powerful political and security actors in the Iraqi state.

The operation, which followed more than 30 drone attacks over three days targeting Saudi Arabia’s petroleum infrastructure and US military sites in the region, has reignited debate over whether Baghdad can prevent its territory becoming a launchpad for wider regional conflict.

The coalition of pro-Iran paramilitaries known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or Al-Hashd Al-Sha’abi, said the US-Saudi strikes hit its headquarters and facilities in Baghdad, Ninevah, Basra, Wasit, Karbala, Kirkuk, Salahuddin and Diyala provinces. The PMF said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded, describing the toll as resulting in “the martyrdom of a number of personnel and injuries to others, as well as material damage to several buildings and properties.”

The scale of the strikes highlighted how extensively Iran-backed factions have become embedded across Iraq’s security landscape. Most of the hardline groups now operate under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose coalition of about 10 factions that security officials estimate commands about 50,000 fighters alongside large stockpiles of drones, long-range missiles and anti-aircraft weapons.

Since the Gaza war began in 2023, the coalition has claimed responsibility for dozens of drone and missile attacks against Israel and US forces in the region, making Iraq an increasingly important front in Iran’s regional confrontation with its adversaries.

Two Decades of Iranian Influence

The armed groups targeted in Wednesday’s operation emerged after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, when Tehran steadily expanded its influence inside Iraq’s fractured political and security institutions. With extensive Iranian funding, training and weapons, many evolved from insurgent organizations into powerful military forces capable of rivaling Iraq’s regular armed forces.

Over two decades they have also built extensive business interests, secured seats in parliament and become deeply embedded in ministries and state institutions, blurring the distinction between official security forces and Iran-aligned armed groups.

The Key Factions

Together, these organizations illustrate how Iraq’s security landscape has become intertwined with Iran’s wider regional strategy, combining formal state recognition with independent chains of command, ideological allegiance to Tehran and military capabilities that extend beyond Iraq.

Calls for Iraqi Sovereignty

The latest escalation has prompted renewed calls from prominent Iraqi leaders for the state to reassert control over armed groups operating outside government authority. Former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi warned that Iraq can no longer afford to become the battleground for conflicts driven by outside powers.

Al-Kadhimi added: “Iraq must not be made to pay the price for the conflicts of others, nor should the interests of its people be held hostage to foreign agendas or impulses that may appear ideological on the surface but are, in reality, driven by interests and influence.”

Muqtada Al-Sadr, whose Mahdi Army was disbanded in 2008 and then semi-revived in 2014 as Saraya Al-Salam, likewise appealed for restraint, warning that Iraq should not become another battlefield in the confrontation between Iran and its rivals. He urged “rogue militias” not to provide a pretext for further attacks on Iraq.

“Iraq and its people are in need of peace; we have had enough of war.” — Muqtada Al-Sadr