How US is fighting Iran-backed militias in West Asia

Iranian-backed militants have been fighting alongside US and coalition soldiers in Iraq and Syria for a long time. They have also occasionally attacked facilities where troops are stationed to combat rebels from the Islamic State group. Under the guise of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Iran’s proxies have dramatically increased their attacks since 17 October, when civilian casualties in Israel’s fight against Hamas started to soar. At least 60 US personnel have reported minor injuries, despite the fact that the majority of the more than fifty attacks have been largely ineffective. According to the Pentagon, the majority of those injuries are traumatic brain injuries caused by the blasts, and all troops have returned to duty. The US has taken a cautious stance in reaction to the attacks. Just three US military strikes have been made in response as the Biden administration strikes a balance between measures to dissuade the militants and averting a wider West Asia conflict. Here’s a look at the attacks and the US response: The attacks Since 17 October, the Pentagon reports that Iranian-backed militants have launched 61 attacks on bases and facilities in Iraq and Syria that house US personnel. Thirty-nine of those have been in Syria, and 29 in Iraq. In accordance with an agreement with the Baghdad government, the US maintains about 2,000 troops in Iraq and roughly 900 in Syria, mostly to combat IS. Additionally, the US uses the al-Tanf garrison deeper south to monitor Iranian proxies that are smuggling weapons across the border. The latest jump in attacks began 10 days after Hamas’ 7 October incursion into Israel, where at least 1,200 people were killed. Israel’s ferocious military response has killed thousands of civilians trapped in Gaza and fuelled threats of retaliation by a range of Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Yemen-based Houthis, and militants in Iraq and Syria. Those threats intensified after a 17 October blast at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of civilians. Hamas blamed Israel for the explosion, but Israel has refuted it, and both Israeli and US officials have blamed it on a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad. One-way suicide drones or rockets have been used in the majority of attacks against bases and infrastructure; in most cases, there were no casualties and just little damage. Many of the injuries, especially the traumatic brain injuries, were sustained during the initial attacks that took place at al-Tanf and the al-Asad air base in Iraq between 17 and 21 October. A US contractor who was seeking cover from a potential drone attack passed away from a cardiac arrest. About these groups Following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which left a power vacuum and years of civil conflict, militias — some of which were backed by Iran — grew and flourished in that country. Ten years later, as the terrorist Islamic State organisation swept across Iraq, several militias supported by Iran united under the banner of the Popular Mobilisation Forces to combat the group. The Asaib Ahl al-Haq, the Badr Brigades, and Kataeb Hezbollah, also known as the Hezbollah Brigades — a distinct organisation from the Hezbollah in Lebanon — were among the factions. Many of the Iraqi militias are also active in Syria, where Iran backs Bashar Assad’s regime against opposition organisations in the 2011 revolt that escalated into a civil war. A number of militias supported by Iran rebranded themselves as Islamic Resistance in Iraq after the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out, and they then launched the most recent round of strikes on US military bases in Syria and Iraq. Iraq prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, found himself in a challenging situation as a result of the attacks. Although the organisations backed by Iran helped him to take power, he has supported the deployment of US soldiers in his nation and wants good relations with the US to remain. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a meeting with al-Sudani this month, warned of consequences if Iranian-backed militias continued to attack US facilities in Iraq and Syria. Al-Sudani then traveled to Tehran and met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a meeting US officials suggested was a positive development. An official with one of the Iranian-backed militias said al-Sudani put “great pressure” on the militias not to carry out attacks during Blinken’s visit. In return, he said, al-Sudani promised to push the Americans not to retaliate aggressively against militias that have carried out the strikes. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly. Sufficient or insufficient? In an effort to deter militants groups from escalating the conflict, the Biden administration has dispatched more troops, fighter jets, warships, and air defence systems into the West Asia since the Hamas attack on 7 October. However, the US military’s response to the attacks on its personnel has been minimal. On 27 October, US fighter jets struck two weapons and ammunition storage sites in eastern Syria near Boukamal that were used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian-backed groups. On 8 November, fighter jets dropped bombs on an IRGC weapons storage facility near Maysulun in Deir el-Zour. And on 12 November, US airstrikes targeted a training facility and a safe house in the Bulbul district of Mayadin. US officials said IRGC-related personnel were there and likely struck, but provided no details. There are concerns within the administration that more substantial retaliation could escalate the violence and trigger more deadly attacks. The Pentagon says the strikes have degraded the group’s military stockpiles and made the sites unusable. But critics argue that the US response pales in comparison with the 60 attacks and American injuries, and — more importantly — has obviously failed to deter the groups. Sensitivity of the Iraqi government The US has only carried out retaliatory airstrikes against targets in Syria, despite the fact that about half of the attacks have targeted US bases in Iraq. The Pentagon argues that the US is targeting Iranian Revolutionary Guard locations, which directly affects Tehran, in order to justify the strike decisions. According to officials, the goal is to put pressure on Iran to order the militia groups to stop their attacks. Furthermore, they claim that the locations were picked because the insurgents’ ability to launch attacks is weakened by knocking out the logistics and armaments stores utilised by groups with ties to Iran. A key reason the US is concentrating on Syria, however, is that the US doesn’t want to risk alienating the Iraqi government by striking within its borders — potentially killing or wounding Iraqis. In early January 2020, the US launched an airstrike in Baghdad, killing Gen. Qassim Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The strike frayed relations with the Iraqi government and spawned demands for the withdrawal of all US forces from the country. The US considers its presence in Iraq as critical to the fight against IS, its ability to support forces in Syria and its ongoing influence in the region. Military leaders have worked to restore good relations with Baghdad, including providing ongoing support for Iraqi forces. With inputs from The Associated Press