Iranian-backed proxies
The Iranian-backed militias in Iraq include a large number of different groups. These are often gathered under the umbrella of a group called the Population Mobilization Units, or Hashd al-Shaabi. When they attack Israel they call themselves the Islamic Resistance.
The militias in Iraq include a large number of members but they are not very sophisticated. They have access to drones and ballistic missiles provided by Iran. They likely also have access to cruise missiles and other weapons. They have vowed for years to help support Hezbollah by moving forces to Syria, meaning they could send forces to Lebanon or towards the Golan.
The Iraqi militias have strength in numbers. They likely have up to 100,000 men under arms. Many of these are not linked to the more quality units that are close to Iran’s IRGC. Therefore the more dangerous units are only a few militias with thousands of men each. These include Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. Kataib Hezbollah, for instance, used drones to kill three Americans in Jordan in January.The group has also targeted Saudi Arabia in past years, and was also involved in plots to target US forces. The Iraqi militias have carried out more than 100 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since after the Hamas attack on Israel. READ MORE
