Iran-Backed Militias: The Secret War You're Not Seeing

Despite long-standing ties to Iran , Shiite militias in Iraq are holding fire, wary of domestic backlash and reluctant to risk retaliation by Israel or the US. An explosion at a site used by Iranian - backed Shi ’ ite militias in Iraq has focused a spotlight on the role that these groups play in Iraq and their threat to the region. After decades of using proxies to attack U.S. Troops, experts say Iran 's network has been degraded, but small groups still pose a threat. The militia attacks escalated after war erupted between Hamas, another Iranian - backed militia , and Israel in Gaza in October 2023. Between October and January 2024, Iranian-backed militias targeted US forces more than 60 times. Several powerful Iranian - backed militia groups in Iraq are prepared to disarm for the first time to avert the threat of an escalating conflict with the U.S. Trump administration, 10 senior. Several of the Iran - backed militia groups operating in Iraq are set to demilitarize for the first time to avoid conflict with the US following President Trump’s threats to Tehran’s proxies,. But experts had different opinions about the threat that smaller, less organized proxy groups can still pose — especially for American troops who felt the ire of Iranian- backed militias after the U.S. Backed Israel in its war against Hamas for its Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks. Iraq ’ s pro - Iranian militias face an uncertain future after the December fall of the Bashar al Assad regime in Syria and amid pressure from Iraqi authorities for armed groups to be disbanded or incorporated further into Iraq’s security apparatus under state control. Profiles of 15 Iranian- backed Militias in the Middle East By Joe Truzman & Bill Roggio | October 31, 2023 |.