Latest news with #USForces
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Why powerful pro-Tehran militias in Iraq stayed quiet amid Iran conflict
When U.S. forces struck three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, concern rippled through the population of neighboring Iraq, where pro-Iranian militias wield much influence and the majority of the people, like in Iran, are Shiite Muslims. The prospect for retaliation in Iraq against the U.S. briefly loomed. Nowhere else in the Arab world do American and Iranian interests exist in such close proximity, with several thousand U.S. soldiers stationed on a string of military bases across the country and Iran supporting a range of political and armed forces that wield power on the ground. But those Iraqi militias have proved to be conspicuously quiet. These groups have been shaped by previous struggles for influence in Iraq between the U.S. and Iran, emerging warier of involvement in external conflict and more independent of external backers. The Iran-linked militias have also become central players in the Iraqi government, earning billions of dollars from state coffers, operating extensive business networks and holding more power than ever before. There is much at stake if these groups become a target, Middle East analysts say. 'These groups have become so integrated into the Iraqi state in one way or another, whether it's through business dealings, whether it is through politics. Why would these people give up on that?' asked Lahib Higel, Crisis Group's senior analyst for Iraq. Tensions may reach a point where the groups turn to violence, she said, 'but these groups are going to stay quiet for as long as they can.' The militias in Iraq have long been an important part of Iran's sprawling network across the region of allies and proxy forces, which also include Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. That formidable network was built by General Qasem Soleimani, who ran Iran's Quds Force, the division of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for external operations, and whom President Donald Trump had assassinated in January 2020 in Baghdad. Unlike Hezbollah and the Houthis, Iraq's militias had already learned the lessons of direct confrontation with the U.S., experts say. The top Iraqi militia leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, was killed in the same drone strike as Soleimani, forcing other senior leaders into hiding as Iran and the U.S. traded ballistic missiles and airstrikes on Iraqi soil. Over the following years, the Iraqi militias adapted from top-down, Iranian-driven groups to ones with greater autonomy. 'The assassination of Soleimani and Muhandis removed a strong lever of control and influence that Iran had over several of these groups,' said Sajad Jiyad, a fellow at the New York-based Century International. 'Not having that Godfather figure has meant that these groups have charted their own path.' Iraq's official network of militia factions, known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, dates back to 2014, when tens of thousands of men across the mostly Shiite south answered calls from Iraq's prime minister and Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the country's top Shiite religious authority, to join the fight against Islamic State militants. Today, the groups are marbled through Iraq's ruling institutions and have become economic powerhouses and political enforcers of the political regime. Middle East analysts and Iraqi officials say Iraq has remained mostly aloof from the conflict pitting Israel and the U.S. against Iran because of shared interests between the armed groups and their Iranian backers. After the U.S. bombers transiting Iraqi airspace struck Iran's nuclear facilities, Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia that has previously targeted U.S. troops, issued only a muted statement, noting that Iraq's inability to control its airspace made the country vulnerable. 'The American forces in Iraq paved the way for this assault by opening Iraqi airspace,' the group said. 'If it is said that we do not want Iraq to be a battleground, then it is incumbent upon us to restrain the role of foreign forces present on Iraqi soil and controlling its skies.' Iraq's military said the following day that a swarm of small drones had targeted six army bases but reached only two, causing damage to radar systems at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, and the Imam Ali base in Dhi Qar governorate, but no casualties. No U.S. forces were present at either one. The Iraqi army said in a statement that Prime Minister Mohammed Shiite al-Sudani had ordered an investigation into the incident, without ascribing blame to any group. The militias' tempered response reflects their desire not to be dragged into the sort of conflict that left Hezbollah eviscerated in Lebanon, said Higel. 'They don't want to face the same fate,' she said. 'However much they support Iran in rhetoric, we've seen the fissures. They had already started when Soleimani was killed, but they've really accelerated after the 7th of October' attacks in Israel. If their standing took a blow, it could put in jeopardy about $3.5 billion allocated in the Iraqi budget, according to the finance ministry, to pay militia salaries and provide other forms of support. Iran, similarly, benefits from the quiet next door. 'Iraq has remained outside the conflict primarily due to Iran's desire to keep it that way,' said a senior Iraqi official who, like some others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive subject. 'They understand that Iraq's stability is extremely important to their national security and also to their economic situation.' As Western governments have sought to isolate Iran with sanctions, Iraq has become its economic lung. Iraq is not only a major trading partner, but Iran has used Iraqi currency exchanges to transfer money and Iraqi ports to mix and rebrand sanctioned oil products, according to researchers at the Chatham House international affairs think tank, providing Tehran with precious access to the international economy. Iraq has also provided safe haven to other Iran-backed groups as they come under fire, the researchers found. After Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah in September, dozens of senior Hezbollah business figures traveled to Iraq, where the group had made significant financial investments. Jiyad, of Century International, said the pro-Iran armed groups are likely to remain on the sidelines for now. 'It may be that the Iranians see that as an option to deploy later,' he said. 'I think the Iranians are not trying to play all their cards at once.' Likewise, the senior Iraqi official said, these groups 'are Iran's last card.' An official with the pro-Iran Asaib al-Haq group, which has a role in the Iraqi government, said Iraq's armed factions remained braced in 'watchful anticipation.' This official said, 'We do not wish to be dragged into the war, although the resistance factions are ready to respond. … This will, however, depend on the course of events and the impact on our country.'
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Will Philippines help US in another Middle East conflict?
Advertisement The issue came up at a press briefing conducted by the Philippine military on Tuesday, where officials were asked if facilities designated under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) could be used to support US operations against Iran. Following multiple attacks from Israel and Iran against each other earlier this month, the US joined its Israeli ally by attacking three nuclear facilities in Iran on Sunday. In retaliation, Iran launched multiple missiles targeting US forces at an air base in Qatar on Monday. EDCA, along with the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, grants US forces rotational access to select Philippine military bases, where they preposition fuel, ammunition and other equipment. These arrangements operate alongside the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT), which commits both countries to act in the event of an armed attack on either party in the Pacific. Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla, spokeswoman for the Philippine military, declined to confirm whether those facilities could be used in the current conflict, saying only: 'We do not want to hone in on the role of the armed forces. At this point in time, we are prepared for any contingencies.' Advertisement The Philippine military's current priority was 'to make sure that our countrymen will come home safe', she added.
CBC
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
What we know about the U.S. airbase in Qatar targeted by Iran
Social Sharing Iran retaliated Monday for the U.S. attacks on its nuclear sites by targeting Al Udeid airbase, a sprawling desert facility in Qatar that serves as a main regional military hub for American forces. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post that no Americans were harmed and "hardly any damage was done." A Qatari military officer said one of the 19 missiles fired by Iran was not intercepted and hit the base. As of this month, the U.S. military had about 40,000 service members in the Middle East, according to a U.S. official. Many of them are on ships at sea as part of a bolstering of forces as the conflict escalated between Israel and Iran, according to the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations, a research and policy centre. Bases in the Middle East have been on heightened alert and taking additional security precautions in anticipation of potential strikes from Iran while the Pentagon has shifted military aircraft and warships into and around the region during the conflict. The U.S. has military sites spread across the region, including in Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Al Udeid hosts thousands of service members The base hosts thousands of U.S. service members and served as a major staging ground for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the height of both, Al Udeid housed some 10,000 U.S. troops, and that number dropped to about 8,000 as of 2022. The forward headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command, it also was used in the fight against the Islamic State. or ISIS, in Iraq and Syria. Al Udeid is built on a flat stretch of desert about 30 kilometres southwest of Qatar's capital, Doha. Over two decades, the gas-rich Gulf country has spent some $8 billion US in developing the base, once considered so sensitive that American military officers would say only that it was somewhere "in southwest Asia." WATCH | Why some say the U.S. couldn't afford to wait to strike Iran: Israel, U.S. couldn't afford to wait to hit Iranian nuclear sites: former commander 2 hours ago Duration 8:13 Trump has visited Al Udeid Trump visited the airbase during a trip to the region last month. It was the first time a sitting U.S. president had travelled to the installation in more than 20 years. Al Udeid cleared its tarmacs Last week, ahead of the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Al Udeid saw many of the transport planes, fighter jets and drones typically on its tarmac dispersed. In a June 18 satellite photo taken by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press, the airbase's tarmac had emptied. The U.S. military has not acknowledged the change, which came after ships off the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet base in Bahrain also had dispersed. That's typically a military strategy to ensure fighting ships and planes aren't destroyed in case of an attack.
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Iran attacks US air base in Qatar: What we know so far
Iran has attacked United States forces stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, saying it was retaliating against the US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. The attacks on Monday were confirmed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a statement addressed to the Iranian people. Consecutive flares, coupled with loud explosions, were seen in Qatar's capital, Doha, and other parts of the country. Here's what to know about the Iranian attacks in Qatar. Why did Iran launch an attack in Qatar? The IRGC, in its statement, said it launched a 'powerful and devastating missile attack' as part of Operation Annunciation of Victory in response to the 'blatant military aggression' by the US on Iran's nuclear facilities. The IRGC also said its 'decisive action' sent a message to the White House and its allies that Iran would, 'under no circumstances, leave any aggression against its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered'. 'US bases and mobile military assets in the region are not points of strength, but rather major vulnerabilities,' the statement warned. Where did Iran attack and why? Iran said it targeted the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar because it 'serves as the command centre of the US Air Force and is the largest strategic asset of the American terrorist army in West Asia'. Tehran also noted that the missile strike was conducted away from residential areas in Qatar. 'This action does not pose any threat to the friendly and brotherly country, Qatar, and its noble people, and the Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to maintaining and continuing warm and historic relations with Qatar,' Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement. What and where is the Al Udeid Air Base? Al Udeid is the largest US military base in the Middle East, housing approximately 10,000 US troops. The 24-hectare (60-acre) base, located in the desert southwest of Doha, was set up in 1996. It serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command, which directs US military operations in a huge swath of territory stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. The base houses the Qatar Emiri Air Force, the US Air Force, the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other foreign forces. How did Iran attack, and how did Qatar respond? A US defence official, quoted by the Reuters news agency, said that 'Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran'. Qatar's Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, said its air defence systems successfully intercepted the Iranian missiles targeting the base. Qatar said it received information that bases in the region are being targeted, including Al Udeid Air Base. 'At 7:30pm (1630 GMT), we received reports that seven missiles were launched from Iran toward Al Udeid Air Base,' Qatari officials said in a briefing later on Monday. They confirmed that Al Udeid Air Base was evacuated before the attack. Its Foreign Ministry decried the attack, saying it is a 'violation of Qatar's sovereignty and airspace and the UN charter', and that Doha reserves the right to respond. Was there any damage after Iran's attack? Qatar's Defence Ministry confirmed that the incident resulted in no deaths or injuries. In a later press briefing, Qatar's Ministry of Interior confirmed that a total of 19 missiles were fired from Iran. It added that only one of those hit Al Udeid Air Base, but caused no casualties. 'We are proud of the response to today's attack and no damage was reported,' Qatari officials said. What's happening in Qatar as a result of the Iranian attack? In the hours leading up to the attack, the embassies of the US and the UK in Qatar released statements urging citizens in Qatar to shelter in place until further notice. However, the advisory was lifted a few hours after the attacks had ceased. Several British, American and European schools in the country said they would remain closed on Tuesday. Qatar's Ministry of Education said all exams set to take place on Tuesday had been rescheduled for Wednesday. During its briefing, Qatar's Ministry of Interior said the situation in the country was 'completely stable' and that all authorities are working in coordination to ensure the safety of the public. Jabr al-Naimi from Qatar's Public Security said the safety of citizens, residents, and residents is of the 'utmost priority'. 'We will not allow any international or external crisis or conflict to affect our life in Qatar,' he said in a televised press conference. Qatar's Foreign Ministry also said life is going back to 'normal' following the attack, and has reiterated its call for warring parties to negotiate. Why was Qatar's airspace shut, and when did it reopen? Qatar shut down its airspace temporarily, saying it was 'part of the measures taken to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.' It was reopened more than five hours later.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Canada's UN envoy says Iran would like to escalate, but may lack capacity
Missiles launched from Iran towards Israel are seen in the West Bank city of Nablus Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Iran launched short- and medium-range ballistic missiles at Al Udeid Air Base, home to U.S. forces in Qatar on Monday, less than 24 hours after the United States bombed three of Iran's nuclear facilities. While Iran may want to increase the amount of strikes it launches, Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, says they may not have the capacity to do so. 'Iran would like to escalate in response to the Israeli and American attacks, but we will see exactly whether Iran is actually able to effectively respond,' he said in an interview with CTV News Chanel on Monday. Al Udeid is a key U.S. military asset in the region, housing both the Combined Air Operations Center and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest of its kind in the world. Qatar Mideast Wars This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha, Qatar, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP) (Planet Labs PBC/AP) Iran described the strikes as 'a mighty and successful response' to 'America's aggression.' 'I think it reflects Iran's ambition,' Rae said. 'I also think it reflects the fact that much of Iran's capacity to respond has been really impacted.' Rae says the core issue is Iran's nuclear ambitions, and how far the U.S. is willing to go to stop them. 'Without admitting to it, Iran has rapidly increased attempts to become a country with nuclear weapons,' he said, adding that it's not clear whether the American initiative will be able to succeed without creating more disruption and warfare. 'The Americans have indicated that they are not going to tolerate any race to a successful nuclear conclusion by Iran,' Rae said. '(But) from all the evidence that we have, (Iranians) seem to be trying to do (that) at breakneck speed.' As leaders on all sides assess their next steps, Rae warns the coming days could shape the region's future.
