PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   The U.S. military is reported to have carried out airstrikes on Tuesday targeting the headquarters of Iraq’s Iran-backed Shiite militia (PMF) and the residence of its leader, marking an escalation in strikes against Tehran’s key militia groups. 

These latest U.S. military strikes follow a statement last week from Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who noted that AH-64 helicopters “have been targeting Iranian-aligned militia groups to ensure we suppress any threat in Iraq to U.S. forces or interests.” 

In what appears to be an Iraqi warning to the U.S., Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Tuesday: “In light of the unjustified attacks and severe violations of Iraqi sovereignty—including targeting official security headquarters—the Council has decided the following: To confront and respond to military attacks by aircraft and drones targeting the headquarters and formations of the Popular Mobilization Forces Commission and other units of our armed forces, using available means, in line with the right to respond and self-defense.”

Sudani also stated Iraq’s foreign ministry plans to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires and, separately, the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday. The PMF is part of Sudani’s government.

An Iraqi Kurdish government official asked Digital, “So will the Iraqi government now fight the Americans?”

When queried about the Iraqi Kurdish official’s comment, a representative from Iraq’s embassy in Washington, D.C., told Digital, “Absolutely not. It’s against elements that target them.”

According to the Times of Israel, a fresh airstrike hit the PMF in western Iraq on Wednesday. “Two missiles were fired from a fighter jet” at a base in Anbar province, a security official said. The Anbar base was also reportedly struck by U.S. forces on Tuesday.

Responding to additional Digital questions, the Iraqi embassy official said he lacked up-to-date information to comment on the rapidly evolving situation in Iraq.

Following the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israel joint attack on the Islamic Republic, the PMF has launched attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Israel, and other American assets in the region—particularly in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. Over the years, the PMF has been accused of killing U.S. military personnel in the Middle East.

PMF leader Falih al-Fayadh was not present when his residence in the northern city of Mosul was hit Tuesday. At least 15 PMF terrorists were killed in other airstrikes targeting a group headquarters in Iraq’s Euphrates Valley province of Anbar, according to sources and a PMF statement.

The Kurdish government official told Digital on Tuesday: “The militias are brazenly doing Iran’s bidding. They’ve attacked U.S. forces and diplomats, Iraq’s own intelligence services, French troops, and the KRG’s Peshmerga [Kurdish Regional Government]. Energy and civilian infrastructure haven’t been spared. This doesn’t need analysis—these groups openly claim responsibility.”

The Kurdish official added: “So why does the Iraqi government continue to pay those it itself calls terrorists and criminals? There are four main groups: Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataeb Hezbollah, Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. This government won’t defend its own interests, let alone its partners’. At this point, the line between the PMF and the state is getting harder to see.”

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior non-resident fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and a PMF expert, told Digital there was a “sense of delusion” in the Biden administration, which tried to distinguish between the PMF and six of its pro-Iran militia members designated as terrorist entities by the U.S.

She said the recent strikes clearly “show the U.S. is tired of this pointless distinction,” adding that the “entire PMF structure is a problem.”

Tsurkov—who was held hostage for two and a half years in Iraq by Kataeb Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian group—said: “The U.S. has significant leverage over Iraq. It can sanction certain ministries and directors general.” She also noted the U.S. can sanction Iraqi banks that transfer money to Iran.

Tsurkov added that the PMF is highly sensitive to U.S. strikes on its top leadership.

The PMF is reeling from the devastating alleged U.S. airstrikes, which killed its operations commander, Saad al-Baiji. The PMF statement said U.S. forces targeted a command headquarters in Anbar while personnel were on duty. Security sources noted the strikes hit during a meeting of senior commanders.

A State Department official told Digital: “The United States strongly condemns the widespread attacks by Iran and Iran-backed militias against U.S. citizens and U.S.-associated targets across Iraq, including diplomatic personnel and facilities.”

The official continued: “As Secretary Rubio has stated, the Iraqi government must take all steps to protect U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot use Iraqi territory to threaten the U.S., our Iraqi partners, or the region. This is in Iraq’s interest. Ongoing attacks by Iran-backed militias undermine Iraq’s stability and risk drawing it into a broader regional conflict.”

A U.S. Central Command spokesperson directed Digital to the White House and the Office of the Secretary of War for comments on the administration’s policy. Digital reached out to the White House and Pentagon for response.

On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert warning: “Iran-aligned terrorist militias in Iraq have carried out widespread attacks on U.S. citizens and U.S.-associated targets across Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now.”

Digital contacted the Israel Defense Forces regarding Israel’s role in the ongoing strikes against Iran-backed militias.

Reuters contributed to this report.