Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has established covert armed cells in Iraq to carry out drone attacks against Gulf countries hosting US forces, according to eight Iraqi sources cited by Reuters. The sources said the new groups operate separately from established militia networks and report directly to the IRGC in an effort to avoid detection.
According to the Reuters report, three or four newly formed cells, each made up of around 10 elite Iraqi Shi’ite fighters, carried out at least seven drone attacks between 20 April and 17 May. The strikes were launched from desert areas near the southern Iraqi cities of Basra and Samawa and targeted locations in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, three of the sources said.
The sources included two Iraqi military officials, a security official and five local militia commanders. They told Reuters that some members of the new cells were recruited from Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organisation representing several hardline Shi’ite factions, but the groups operate outside its formal command structure and instead maintain direct links with the IRGC.
The reported creation of the cells represents a change in Iran’s approach to regional operations, according to the sources. They said the move allows Tehran to maintain its ability to project influence while reducing reliance on larger proxy groups that have suffered losses and increased pressure in recent years.
Iraq has long been a central part of Iran’s regional network of allied armed groups, which Tehran refers to as part of its “Axis of Resistance”. Many Iraqi militias have close ties with Iran and have previously claimed responsibility for attacks against US interests in the country.
However, several powerful Iraqi Shi’ite factions have recently indicated that they are willing to reduce their military role and focus more on domestic politics amid pressure from Washington. Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Imam Ali Brigades announced they would begin surrendering weapons to state authorities following repeated US calls for Iraq to dismantle armed groups operating outside government control.
Jasim al-Bahadli, a retired Iraqi army general and expert on Shi’ite armed groups, told Reuters that the newer formations appear smaller, more tightly controlled and more focused on loyalty and operational effectiveness rather than large-scale recruitment.
The reported attacks occurred as Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi faces pressure to prevent Iraqi territory from being used for regional military operations. Zaidi’s government has pledged to investigate attacks linked to Iraq and strengthen state control over armed groups.
At a meeting with US envoy Tom Barrack, Zaidi discussed plans to ensure the “complete disarmament and disbandment” of armed groups operating outside state authority, according to a joint statement cited in the Reuters report. The US State Department also repeated calls for Iraq to dismantle what it described as Iran-aligned armed groups involved in destabilising activities.
Iranian officials have not responded to detailed questions from Reuters about the alleged operations. Tehran has previously stated that its support for “resistance groups” is not open to negotiation.
The reported attacks have increased tensions between Iraq and its Gulf neighbours. Iraqi officials said the new groups may have been responsible for strikes targeting Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, including attacks aimed at Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base, where US forces are stationed, and a military terminal at Kuwait’s international airport.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the accounts provided by the Iraqi sources. The sources said Saudi Arabia and the UAE intercepted attacks before they reached their intended targets.
Iraqi officials are investigating the groups’ command structures and whether they were involved in a 17 May drone attack that caused a fire at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted three drones entering its airspace from Iraq on the same day, which Iraqi officials attributed to one of the newly formed groups.
Prime Minister Zaidi condemned the attacks as criminal acts and promised joint investigations with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to determine whether Iraqi territory was used to launch strikes against neighbouring countries.
The developments present an early security challenge for Zaidi’s government as Baghdad attempts to maintain relations with both Washington and Tehran while rebuilding ties with Gulf states. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have already summoned Iraqi diplomats to protest the attacks, according to Reuters.
The alleged emergence of smaller, directly controlled cells reflects growing pressure on Iraq to prevent armed groups from operating independently and to limit the use of its territory in regional conflicts.
