Since 2003, Iranian influence has deepened in Iraq through an array of Shiite militias trained, armed, aided, and supported financially by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The militias in Iraq could be pressured to reduce their role as part of an Iran deal with the United States. On the other hand, they could also demand institutionalization within Iraq’s military system via favorable legislation and an increase in member payments. Despite decades of western investment and training, Iranian- backed Iraqi militias have succeeded in state capture. This new regime change shows that regimes can be usurped through careful exploitation of legal and political institutions that the United States helped develop after 2003. Attempting to push back Iranian influence in Iraq and wary of the potential for the Iran-backed militias to attack U.S. Forces, the Trump administration is reportedly considering new steps to press Baghdad to curb the militias’ influence. Any sharp drawdown of U.S. Forces in Iraq grants Iran a golden opportunity to expand its influence there and threatens to inflame sectarian tensions. The Islamic Republic of Iran , long reliant on a network of proxy groups to exert influence across the Middle East, faces significant challenges as its strategy falters. 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,. BAGHDAD (Reuters) -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. A report from Reuters on April 7 indicates that the Iranian- backed militias in Iraq could disarm due to their fear of the Trump administration. This is a significant development.
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