The United States attacks a pro-Iran militia in Baghdad with a drone amid strong regional tension

The US-led international coalition forces in Iraq carried out a drone attack in central Baghdad on Thursday in which they killed a senior commander of a militia backed by Iran, but nominally dependent on the Iraqi army, as reported by the Government of the Arab country. The office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani declared that it represents a “dangerous escalation.” The move further increases pressure to end the presence of American troops in Iraq, amid Israel's brutal military offensive in Gaza.

The attack occurs in a climate of alarming increase in tension in the Middle East that raises fears of greater levels of violence and destabilization in the region. On Tuesday, the number two of the Palestinian Hamas militia, Saleh al Aruri, was killed in another attack in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, which has not been claimed, but everything seems to indicate that he was executed by Israel. Added to this is the confusion created by an attack carried out by the Islamic State on Wednesday in the Iranian city of Kerman, which has become the deadliest in the country's history, with at least 84 dead and some 300 injured. according to the latest figures from local authorities.

The bombing in Baghdad, about which Washington has remained silent until now, also coincides with an increase in cross-attacks between the United States and Iranian-backed forces in Syria and Iraq, which began in the wake of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza. Since its launch in early October, this constellation of armed groups has carried out more than a hundred attacks against US troop positions. Although at first the exchange of blows was limited in scope, in an apparent mutual attempt to minimize damage and reduce the risk of a spiral of violence, in recent weeks they have begun to be more aggressive. On most occasions, however, the North American attacks had occurred after previous actions by these armed groups, although on this occasion this does not seem to have been the case.

This Thursday's attack targeted the headquarters of a group integrated into the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of militias close to the Iranian authorities that formally depends on the Iraqi army, but in practice acts with great autonomy. The highest-ranking figure killed in the attack was Moshtaq Talib al Saidi, known as Abu Taqwa, a senior leader of the al Nujaba Movement, a militia very close to Tehran that was designated a terrorist organization in 2019 by the United States. The total number of casualties caused by the action is not clear, but on Thursday afternoon the funeral of Abu Taqwa and another militiaman was held.

Iraq talks about terrorist attack

The Iraqi prime minister's office compared the attack to a terrorist attack and criticized that it was committed against a group that operates under the chain of command of the country's army, which “undermines all understandings” with coalition forces. Iraq's Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack and assured that Baghdad reserves its right to take appropriate measures to deter other similar acts. The US-led international coalition in Iraq was established with the primary goal of assisting in the fight against the Islamic State, during which the Popular Mobilization Forces played a key role. But since its defeat in 2017, the mission has focused on advising and training the Iraqi army.

The greater frequency and forcefulness in the exchange of blows between the United States and these armed groups has generated growing unrest among the Iraqi authorities, whose ability to stop the escalation is very limited, and has renewed calls for the expulsion of North American troops. Prime Minister Al Sudani himself recently stated that his government is working to end his presence, and Thursday's attack has reinforced this call by the country's political and military leaders.

Before the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the United States had some 2,500 soldiers in Iraq and another 900 in Syria, formally as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State, but in the last three months Washington has greatly reinforced its military presence in the East. Next. The Pentagon affirms that this deployment responds to three main objectives: to dissuade groups supported by Iran from opening new fronts beyond Gaza, to shield Israel's security during its military operation in the Strip and to protect its own troops in the region, while as well as its citizens.

The attack in Baghdad coincided with an escalation of clashes between the Israeli army and the Lebanese movement Hezbollah on the border between both countries, which have been taking place since the beginning of October, but which this Thursday left one of the deadliest days for the latter. after several Israeli attacks. At the same time, attacks in the Red Sea, one of the main arteries of global maritime trade, by the Houthi movement of Yemen, close to Iran, have continued this week, which is forcing major shipping companies to divert from the region.

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