The Media Line: ‘Not Our War’: Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq Stay on the Sidelines 

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‘Not Our War’: Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq Stay on the Sidelines 

Despite long-standing ties to Iran, Shiite militias in Iraq are holding fire, wary of domestic backlash and reluctant to risk retaliation by Israel or the US 

By Hudhaifa Ebrahim/The Media Line 

The war between Iran and Israel is now in its second week, with no clear signs of an off-ramp—despite the United States bombing several key Iranian nuclear sites and President Donald Trump declaring that “now is the time for peace.” As the war continues, many of Iran’s proxies in the region have been notably quiet, including multiple Iran-backed militias in Iraq that have declared their neutrality. Immediately after the initial Israeli airstrikes, Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr posted a statement on X calling on Iraqis “not to be drawn into this war, as it is not their war, and Iraq does not need more wars.” 

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iraqi-based militia group originally established by Iran to combat the Islamic State (IS) group, canceled its 11th-anniversary celebrations in solidarity with the Iranian military commanders killed in the Israeli airstrike on Tehran. But the PMF has made no announced intention of taking military action against Israel, or of using its drones in Iraq to target Israel. 

Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Ali al-Sistani, who 11 years ago called for the creation of the PMF and for jihad against IS, released a statement calling on the international community “to stop the Israeli aggression against Iran,” but made no call for any military operations against Israel. 

Similarly, the Iraqi Hezbollah movement declared its “solidarity with the Iranian people” and offered condolences to Iran’s supreme leader for the deaths of Iranian military leaders. However, it also refrained from mentioning any intention to engage in retaliatory military actions against Israel. 

Several Iranian-established Shiite militias in Iraq have remained silent on the Israeli attacks. None of their leaders have spoken out or called for retaliation against Israel in solidarity with Iran. 

Since 2003, Iran has established more than 100 militias and armed factions in Iraq, with unofficial estimates placing their total numbers at over half a million. Of these, 147,000 fighters are part of the PMF, which comprises 67 Shiite factions and militias. 

Iran also maintains several military bases in Iraq. The largest is in the Jurf Al Sakhar area, around 35 miles south of Baghdad. Spanning ​​approximately 100 square miles, it serves as the headquarters for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Quds Force. 

This area includes vast farmland that has been used as military bases to hide Iranian weapons and training centers. 

The IRGC also operates bases in Iraq’s western Anbar province, near the Syrian border. These bases were previously used to supply the Syrian regime and Iranian-backed militias in Syria with weapons and fighters. 

Of the hundreds of Iranian-backed militias in the region, only Yemen’s Houthis have continued to launch attacks against Israel, using ballistic missiles and drones supplied by Iran. 

Despite the silence of Iraq’s militias and their apparent unwillingness to fight on behalf of Iran against Israel or the United States, several missiles and drones were launched toward US bases in Iraq last week. 

“Several drones were shot down near the Ain al-Asad base, where US forces are stationed in western Iraq,” an Iraqi military source, speaking anonymously, told The Media Line. 

He continued: “We will not allow Iraq to become a battleground for conflict between any other countries, and we will not interfere in any regional conflict.” 

Haider al-Abed, a political activist close to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, told The Media Line: “We will not allow a return to 2003 or 2006. We are following the instructions of our leader. This war is not our war, and we cannot defend anyone else.” 

“We cannot engage in any military action. We respond to any internal military aggression, but we will not participate in any external wars,” he said. “This is what the religious leaders call for, and we abide by what they say.” 

Shiite politician Safaa al-Asadi told The Media Line that Iraq must not be used as a base for any military operations. “Iraq even objected to Israel’s use of Iraqi airspace to bomb Iran,” he said. “We are a peaceful country and will not interfere, nor will we allow any armed faction to carry out any military operations against any other country.” 

The Shiite militias may be choosing neutrality in an attempt to avoid the fate of Hezbollah and other groups that have been wiped out by Israel. 

“These militias have significant economic interests, and they want to survive and remain in power,” Muwaffaq Khattab, an Iraqi political analyst, told The Media Line. “We don’t even rule out the possibility of them giving up their weapons, if necessary, and their soldiers, in order to remain in power and control economic resources.” 

Recognizing Israel’s intention to eliminate the threat from Iran and its proxies, the militias in Iraq have decided to wait out the storm, he added. 

Iranian political analyst Hassan Yasiri described the militias’ inaction as treason. He insisted that Iran could defend itself from threats without the militias’ support but condemned the groups from their lack of “courage and heroism.” “Unfortunately, this is the Arabs’ response after all the support Iran has provided them to preserve the Shiite sect in their countries,” he said. 

“They did not deserve Iranian support,” he continued. “If it weren’t for Iran, these people would have been killed by ISIS or other terrorist groups. … Now they are very passive in this war.”