Iraq

Policy Analysis on Iraq

Funeral for KH operator, November 23, 2023

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Kataib Hezbollah Publicly Mocks Asaib Ahl al-Haq for Cowardice

After Asaib Ahl al-Haq sought a halt to the verbal attacks, Kataib Hezbollah doubled down with a cutting public insult.

Nov 30, 2023

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Ameer al-Kaabi
Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Rayan al-Kildani Faces Election Backlash in the Months After Wedding Hall Fire

Nov 29, 2023

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Yaqoub Beth-Addai

◆ Militia Spotlight

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Profile: Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (19th PMF Brigade)

One of the top Iraqi proxies for Iran's IRGC-Qods Force, this Sadrist breakaway faction has long garrisoned the Syrian border and killed Iraqi protesters to demonstrate its loyalty.

Nov 27, 2023

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Ameer al-Kaabi
Michael Knights
Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Militia Hair-Pulling Over Who Are "The Truest Muqawama"

Amid their ceasefire in solidarity with events in Gaza, Iraqi "resistance" leaders went back to their old habits of diminishing each other and spilling their secrets, with interesting results.

Nov 26, 2023

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Hamdi Malik
Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight

U.S. soldiers at an Iraqi base after a rocket attack by Iran-backed militias

Brief Analysis

Will an Iraqi Front Open in the Hamas-Israel War?

The risky tit-for-tat strikes between U.S. and militia forces are one symptom of a wider competition between rival actors in Iraq—one that American and European officials should work together on containing.

Nov 21, 2023

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Bilal Wahab
Selin Uysal

Photo of an October 2023 Iraqi demonstration with footprints covering the Israeli and American flags.

Articles & Testimony

Iraq’s Delicate Balancing Act With Iran and the U.S.

Despite reassuring U.S. officials during recent meetings, it is unclear whether Prime Minister Sudani can indefinitely placate an angry public or prevent Tehran’s militia proxies from further escalating the situation.

Nov 19, 2023

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Bilal Wahab

Photo of a blast wall with a drone mural at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq.

Video

Brief Analysis

Iranian Escalation in Iraq and Syria: Implications and U.S. Options

Four experts discuss what Washington can do about the latest spike in militia attacks against U.S. bases and local partners—even as they try to sustain the counterterrorism mission against the Islamic State.

Nov 17, 2023

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Michael Knights
Wladimir van Wilgenburg
Devorah Margolin
Andrew J. Tabler

Photo showing flame and smoke rising over Lebanon's border with Israel.

Articles & Testimony

Gaza War Shows Heightened Risk of Escalation in the Region

Although Washington and its partners have kept the war from spreading so far, the lack of clear rules on some fronts—particularly Syria—has created a dangerous environment in which any actor might inadvertently cross someone’s red lines.

Nov 17, 2023

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Andrew J. Tabler

Maps & Graphics

Articles & Testimony

OFAC Designates Iraqi Militiamen (Part 2): KSS and Abu Ala al-Walai

Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada's designation for terrorist activities is long overdue, reflecting its important ongoing role in attacks on U.S. forces in northern Iraq and eastern Syria.

Nov 17, 2023

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Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight

KH facilities in Syria under attack December 2019

Maps & Graphics

Articles & Testimony

OFAC Designates Iraqi Militiamen (Part 1): Kataib Hezbollah Commanders

Washington has signaled that its patience is wearing thin with the group's pivotal role in two dozen attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria in a month.

Nov 17, 2023

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Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight

Member of the Ramadi Widows Outreach Assistance Program distributes food packages in Anbar Province

Fikra Forum

Iraqi Civil Society and the Funding Crisis

Financial support for NGOs is a lifeline for their survival and sustainability. For its part, the Iraqi government should realize that a strong civil society benefits the government, as NGOs can be a vital contribution to governance efforts and societal support.

Nov 16, 2023

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Abdulsalam Medeni

Liwa Abu Fadhal al-Abbas social media flag

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Profile: Liwa Abu Fadl al-Abbas

One of the most well-established Iraqi volunteer militias to fight for Iran and the Assad regime, both in the Syrian civil war and during various anti-U.S. actions.

Nov 16, 2023

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Abdullah Hayek

◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

Fikra Forum

Developing a Practical Model to Solve the Iraq-KRG Oil Crisis

Baghdad should allow Kurdistan based oil operators to invest in the rest of Iraq as a part of a solution to the long-standing oil issue between Erbil and Baghdad, using a proven, practical model currently being implemented.

Nov 9, 2023

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Yerevan Saeed

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Profile: Liwa al-Imam al-Hussein

One of the largest Iraqi-Syrian militias, developed by Iran's IRGC-QF to support regime and proxy objectives in and around Syria.

Nov 7, 2023

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Abdullah Hayek

◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Kataib Hezbollah and the Gaza Crisis (Part 2): Israel's Incursion, Khamenei-Nasrallah Speeches, and Blinken's Visit

Hossein Moanes and Abu Fadak have carefully calibrated their threats, showing a multifaceted yet tightly controlled Kataib Hezbollah response.

Nov 7, 2023

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Michael Knights
Amir al-Kaabi

◆ Militia Spotlight

Abu Hussein, head of KH Special Operations

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Kataib Hezbollah and the Gaza Crisis (Part 1): Special Ops in the Lead

The group's earliest reactions to the war were led by its Special Operations wing under Abu Hussein and two spokesmen from his camp.

Nov 7, 2023

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Amir al-Kaabi
Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Potential Escalation in Iraq (Part 2): Asaib and Nujaba

Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, and their facade group partners may soon step up their attacks amid the Hamas-Israel war, albeit within limits set by Iran.

Nov 1, 2023

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Hamdi Malik
Crispin Smith
Ameer al-Kaabi
Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Potential Escalation in Iraq (Part 1): Khamenei and Badr

Iraqi "resistance" elements are becoming more bellicose in their rhetoric against the American presence, signaling a new level of escalation against U.S. troops as part of their efforts to support Hamas in the Gaza war.

Nov 1, 2023

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Hamdi Malik
Michael Knights
Crispin Smith
Ameer al-Kaabi

◆ Militia Spotlight

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Profile: The Sons of Jazira and Euphrates Movement

This Ougaidat tribal militia has undertaken attacks on multiple Syrian Kurdish and U.S. sites, with support from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Assad regime.

Oct 31, 2023

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Abdullah Hayek

◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Anti-U.S. Attacks Linked to the Sons of Jazira and Euphrates Movement

The "Jazira" brand has begun claiming, through very transparent communiques, that it is undertaking rocket attacks on U.S. bases in Syria.

Oct 27, 2023

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Hamdi Malik
Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight

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Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics focuses on social, political, and economic developments in the Arab world, with an emphasis on the Arab countries of the Levant.

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Featured experts

Michael Eisenstadt

Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.

Michael Knights

Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Fellow of The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, and the Persian Gulf states. He is a co-founder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.

Bilal Wahab

Bilal Wahab is the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Policy Analysis on Iraq

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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Iraq

Policy Analysis on Iraq

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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