Wikipedia

Iraq in the 2026 Iran war

The 2026 Iran war has involved Iraq, where Iranian forces and allied militias based in the country have conducted missile and drone strikes against facilities primarily of the United States, mostly in the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad.

Iraq in the 2026 Iran war
Part of the 2026 Iran war
Date28 February – present
Location
Iraq
Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Shia fighters		 Iraq
Kurdistan Region

United States
Israel
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia

Background

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Following the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, Iran struck U.S. bases in Iraq, including Al-Asad Airbase and Erbil, causing injuries.[1] Later on, Iran‑aligned militias carried out periodic attacks on U.S. and coalition facilities during the Gaza war.[2]

Incidents

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Kurdistan Region

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In northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, Iranian forces and Iran‑aligned militias have launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones since late February 2026. The strikes, carried out under the pretext of targeting U.S. interests, including military, diplomatic, and educational facilities, as well as Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, have primarily targeted such sites in Erbil, but have increasingly also struck civilian infrastructure, including hotels, telecommunications facilities, and residential areas.[3][4][5]

Baghdad

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On 10 March 2026, a drone attack targeted the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, a logistics hub for U.S. diplomats near Baghdad International Airport. According to U.S. officials, six drones were launched toward the facility, five of which were intercepted while one impacted near a guard tower; no casualties were reported.[6] U.S. officials said the drone involved in the attack was believed to have been launched by Iran-backed militias operating in Iraq.[7]

On 11 March, Saraya Awliya al-Dam, a pro-Iran Iraqi militia and part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), claimed responsibility for four "special operations" targeting U.S. bases inside and outside Iraq over the previous 24 hours.[8]

On 14 March, a missile struck a helipad at the United States embassy complex in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, causing smoke to rise above the compound.[9] A day later, Iraq's Justice Ministry warned that strikes near Baghdad International Airport threatened the security of al-Karkh Central Prison, which housed thousands of ISIS detainees recently transferred from Syria.[10]

Footage circulating online also purported to show Iranian-aligned militias, Kata'ib Hezbollah, carrying out drone strikes against Victory Base area close to Baghdad International Airport during the same period.[11] The five missiles which struck the airport caused injuries to four people.[12]

On 16 March, multiple explosions rocked Baghdad's Jadriyah district, killing at least four people in an air raid on a house used by an Iran-backed group.[13] On 17 March, a video showed what appeared to be a drone attack on the Al Rasheed Hotel in the Green Zone in Baghdad.[14] On the same day, the Saraya Awliya al-Dam group released a footage of an fiber optic drone performing reconnaissance above the US embassy compound.[15] On 18 March, a drone hit the US embassy in Baghdad.[16]

On 19 March, Kata'ib Hezbollah said it would pause attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for five days under the condition that Israel's "displacement of civilians and bombardment" in Beirut as part of the 2026 Lebanon war came to an end.[17] On 20 March, a drone attack targeted a US diplomatic site near Baghdad International Airport.[18] On 21 March, one police officer was killed in a drone strike on the headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in Mansour district, Baghdad.[19] On 22 March, several rockets and drones were aimed at a US diplomatic and logistics center at Baghdad International Airport.[20]

On 21 March, the Ashab al-Kahf militia set the Victory Base ablaze with a drone.[21][22] On 25 March, the IRI militia struck an American radar and helicopter with a fiber optic drone.[23][24]

On 30 March, rockets hit Martyr Mohammed Alaa air base in Baghdad.[25] An airplane was destroyed, but no injuries were reported.[26]

On 8 April, Iraqi armed groups with backing from Iran carried out drone attacks on a US diplomatic site.[27]

Other regions

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On 10 March, an airstrike killed four fighters affiliated with Iran‑linked Kata'ib al-Imam Ali in northern Iraq's Dibis District, near Kirkuk.[28]

On 12 March, two Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers collided mid-air over western Iraq killing all six crew.[29] Pro-Iranian groups, including the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, claimed responsibility for downing the tanker, though U.S. officials denied these claims.[30] In the Akashat area of the Al-Qa'im District near the Iraq–Syria border, strikes hit three sites belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces' 19th Brigade, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, killing at least 35 fighters and wounding around 90 others.[31]

On 16 March, reports confirmed that Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior commander of Kata'ib Hezbollah, had been killed.[32] On 19 March, airstrikes targeted positions of the Popular Mobilization Forces in northern Iraq, including in Nineveh and Salah al-Din governorates, killing at least two fighters.[33] The strikes were reportedly carried out by U.S. Apache attack helicopters as part of ongoing operations against Iran‑aligned militia groups to suppress threats to U.S. forces and interests, according to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine.[34]

Around the same time, drones struck the radar system at the Umm Qasr naval base in Basra Governorate, causing minor damage but no reported casualties.[35] On 20 March, a strike in Tuz Khurmatu, northern Iraq, killed one PMF fighter and wounded another.[36] A day later, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for targeting 27 U.S. military bases in Iraq and across the region over the past 24 hours.[37]

On 23 March, 15 fighters from Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), including a commander, were killed in an U.S. airstrike on their base in Habbaniyah, Al Anbar Governorate.[38][39] Two days later, seven fighters were killed and 13 others were injured in a strike on a military healthcare clinic in the Habbaniyah base.[40] On 26 March, Iraqi forces shot down a low-flying drone in Kirkuk without causing casualties.[41] On 28 March, airstrikes targeted a PMF headquarters near Kirkuk International Airport, killing at least three fighters and wounding four others.[42]

On 31 March, a drone crashed in West Qurna 1 without exploding.[43] Also that day, two PMF fighters were killed and four others were wounded in strikes on their base in the Ar-Rutba District of Al Anbar Governorate.[44] On 1 April, shelling on a PMF headquarters of the Al-Hussein Brigade in the Tel Afar District in Nineveh governorate killed a commander and three fighters affiliated with Iran-linked armed groups.[45]

On 4 April, a drone stuck oil facilities near Basra, causing a fire.[46] On 7 April, at least three people were killed after rockets launched from Kuwait struck a house near Basra in southern Iraq.[47] The attack prompted protests in Basra, during which demonstrators stormed and vandalised the Kuwaiti consulate.[48]

On 18 May, the New York Times reported that the Israeli military operated two "covert" outposts in Iraq's western desert and killed a shepherd and a soldier in a bid to hide one of the sites near the town of al-Nukhaib.[49]

Casualties

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Total casualties in Iraq as of the April ceasfire numbered 119+ killed[50] and 370 injured.[51]

In Iraq, 85 members of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces had been killed and 139 injured as of 4 April.[52][53][54] Two Popular Mobilization Forces fighters were killed and three injured in a US-Israeli attack on 28 February.[55]

Deaths included 10 Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan fighters,[56][57] six Peshmerga fighters,[58] one Asayish,[59] five civilians,[52][53] eight soldiers, and four police officers.

Injuries Included 270 Popular Mobilization Forces fighters,[51] 49 Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan fighters,[52][60][61] 44 Peshmerga fighters, one Asayish,[59] seven civilians,[54] and 13 soldiers.[52][53][54]

Reactions and impact

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Clashes in Baghdad between Iran‑aligned militia supporters and Iraqi security forces, including protests near the Green Zone in early March following the assassination of Ali Khamenei, caused injuries and heightened security around government and diplomatic sites.[62]

The Iraqi federal government condemned attacks on its territory, saying it would not allow Iraq to be used as a base for cross‑border strikes and calling for restraint while coordinating security with international partners.[63] Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani condemned the strikes on the PMF, calling them a "systematic and repeated aggression" and a "desperate attempt to cause chaos and hit social peace." Iraqi national security advisor Qasim al-Araji condemned the strikes on the PMF as a "cowardly terrorist attack."[64] In response to plans of a Kurdish offensive into Iran, al-Araji said that Iraq will not allow an invasion of Iran to be launched from its territory, and stated that Iran had requested that Iraqi forces move to the border between the Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran to impede any aggression by Kurdish forces.[65]

The conflict caused temporary closures and disruptions at Iraqi airports, including Baghdad and Erbil, as airlines canceled or rerouted flights due to safety concerns.[66] Iraq national team's head coach, Graham Arnold, urged FIFA to postpone the inter‑continental playoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification after airspace closures during the conflict prevented the squad from assembling, canceled a U.S. training camp, and left some players stranded or unable to obtain visas.[67] However, despite these concerns, the Iraq Football Association confirmed that the team would instead travel to Mexico by private plane, with president Adnan Dirjal stating that FIFA had been cooperative in helping to overcome logistical difficulties and facilitate the squad's journey.[68]

Iraqi authorities authorized all security forces, including the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), to respond to attacks under the principle of self-defense following strikes on their positions.[69] Meanwhile, Gulf states and Jordan called on Iraq to take measures to halt attacks launched by Iran-aligned militias from its territory toward neighboring countries, warning that such activities risked further destabilizing the region.[70]

On 31 March 2026, US freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped near the Baghdad Hotel, a suspect linked to Kata'ib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia group, was arrested after the kidnappers' car crashed.[71][72]

On 20 April, the US urged a defense contractor to evacuate its workers from Iraq out of fear of attacks from Iran-backed militias.[73]

On 27 May, Muqtada al-Sadr announced the dissolution of Saraya al-Salam and its integration into Iraqi state security institutions, and urged all political parties and armed factions to surrender their weapons to the state.[74] On 2 June, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Kata'ib al-Imam Ali announced that they would begin placing their weapons under state authority, while Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba rejected disarmament and maintained their commitment to armed resistance activities.[75]

See also

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Notes

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    References

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    1. ↑ Tapper, Jake; Browne, Ryan; Starr, Barbara (January 16, 2020). "US troops were injured in Iran missile attack despite Pentagon initially saying there were no casualties". CNN. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
    2. ↑ "Several U.S. service members injured in missile attack at Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, Pentagon says". CBS News. 22 November 2023. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
    3. ↑ "Family torn apart: Drone strike kills couple near Erbil". The New Region. 7 April 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
    4. ↑ Frantzman, Seth J. (2026-03-11). "US condemns Iranian and militia attacks in Iraq amid unclaimed airstrikes on Tehran-backed militias". FDD. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
    5. ↑ Frantzman, Seth (30 March 2026). "Home of Kurdistan Region president targeted, American universities threatened as attacks escalate in Iraq". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
    6. ↑ "Drone hits U.S. diplomatic facility in Iraq as Mideast violence deepens". The Washington Post. 10 March 2026.
    7. ↑ "Iranian drone hits US facility in Iraq". The Hill. 11 March 2026.
    8. ↑ "Pro-Iran Iraqi group claims four attacks on US bases". The New Region. 11 March 2026.
    9. ↑ "US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq attacked with missile that hits helipad". Al Jazeera. 14 March 2026.
    10. ↑ "Strikes near Baghdad airport threaten high-security prison: Ministry". The New Region. 15 March 2026.
    11. ↑ "FPV drone slams into US military base in Iraq". Al Jazeera. 15 March 2026.
    12. ↑ Livni, Ephrat (2026-03-15). "Here's What Happened in the War in the Middle East on Sunday". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
    13. ↑ "Four killed in Iraq's Baghdad as US forces, Iran-backed groups trade fire". Al Jazeera. 16 March 2026. Archived from the original on 17 March 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
    14. ↑ "Video shows apparent drone strike at Baghdad's Green Zone". Iran International. 2026-03-16. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
    15. ↑ "Iran Update Special Report, March 17, 2026". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 18 March 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
    16. ↑ "Drone attack targets US embassy in Baghdad". Iran International. 2026-03-18. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
    17. ↑ Tawfeeq, Mohammed (2026-03-18). "Iran-backed militia announces pause in attacks on US Embassy in Baghdad – with conditions". CNN. Archived from the original on 2026-03-19. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
    18. ↑ "Renewed drone attack hits US diplomatic facility near Baghdad airport". Iran International. 2026-03-20. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
    19. ↑ "Drone strike near Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad kills officer". Al Jazeera. 21 March 2026.
    20. ↑ "Rockets and drones target US site at Baghdad airport overnight". Iran International. 2026-03-22. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
    21. ↑ "US Camp Victory targeted in drone attack by pro-Iran forces". The New Region. 21 March 2026. Archived from the original on 21 March 2026.
    22. ↑ "Attacks in Baghdad Breach Fragile Militia Truce". Asharq Al-Awsat. Archived from the original on 22 March 2026.
    23. ↑ "Moment Iranian drone attacks Black Hawk helicopter at military base in Iraq". Sky News. 25 March 2026. Archived from the original on 25 March 2026.
    24. ↑ "FPV Drones Strike U.S. Helicopter and Radar at Victory Base in Iraq". Militarnyi.
    25. ↑ "Rocket attack hits Iraqi Air Force base, no casualties: Ministry". Rudaw. 30 March 2026.
    26. ↑ "Rockets hit Iraqi air base near Baghdad airport, no casualties". Iran International. 2026-03-30. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
    27. ↑ "Iran-backed Iraqi groups carry out drone attacks near US sites in Baghdad". Iran International. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
    28. ↑ "Air strike kills four Iran-linked fighters in Iraq". Al Jazeera. 10 March 2026.
    29. ↑ "All six crew members killed after US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq". BBC News. March 12, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
    30. ↑ "US military announces rescue effort after fuelling aircraft crashes in Iraq". Al Jazeera. March 12, 2026. Archived from the original on March 13, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
    31. ↑ "Dozens killed in massive airstrikes on PMF in Qaim and Kirkuk". Iraqi News. 12 March 2026.
    32. ↑ "Kataib Hezbollah commander Abu Ali al-Askari killed". Iraqi News. 16 March 2026.
    33. ↑ "Strikes kill two PMF fighters in northern Iraq amid wider war, group says". Al Jazeera. 19 March 2026.
    34. ↑ Schogol, Jeff (19 March 2026). "US Apache helicopters attack Iranian militias in Iraq, Chairman of Joint Chiefs says". Task & Purpose.
    35. ↑ "Iranian drones and missiles hit ports, oil and gas facilities, and US bases in the region (March 17-19 updates)". FDD's Long War Journal. 19 March 2026.
    36. ↑ "Strike kills fighter in northern Iraq, ex-paramilitaries say". The New Arab. 21 March 2026.
    37. ↑ "Iraq's Islamic Resistance claims 27 attacks on US bases". Shafaq. 21 March 2026.
    38. ↑ "Air strike kills 15 PMF fighters in Iraq in deadliest attack since Iran war began". The National News. 24 March 2026.
    39. ↑ "Fifteen killed in airstrike on PMF base in Anbar". The New Region. 24 March 2026.
    40. ↑ "'A heinous crime': Air strikes kill seven fighters in Iraq's Anbar". Al Jazeera. 25 March 2026.
    41. ↑ "Iraq downs low-flying drone in Kirkuk province without casualties". Shafaq. 26 March 2026.
    42. ↑ "Three PMF fighters killed in Kirkuk attack". The New Region. 28 March 2026.
    43. ↑ "Drone crashes at Iraq oilfield without exploding". Iran International. 2026-03-31. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
    44. ↑ "Airstrikes target PMF positions in western Iraq". The New Region. 31 March 2026.
    45. ↑ "Airstrikes kill 4 PMF officials in Iraq's Nineveh". Shafaq News. 1 April 2026.
    46. ↑ "Drone strike hits oil facilities near Basra, fire reported". Iran International. 2026-04-04. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
    47. ↑ "Protesters break into Kuwaiti consulate in Iraq's Basra after rocket attack kills three". Reuters. 7 April 2026.
    48. ↑ "Kuwait strongly condemns storming, sabotage against its consulate in Basra". Gulf News. 7 April 2026.
    49. ↑ "Israel's military operated second covert site in Iraq: NYT". Al Jazeera. 18 May 2026.
    50. ↑ "US-Iran war: Thousands killed and billions spent as fragile ceasefire takes effect". The Independent. 2026-04-09. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
    51. 1 2 "PMF reports 80 killed, 270 wounded since start of US-Iran war". shafaq.com.
    52. 1 2 3 4 "Exiled Kurd group says Iran conducted deadly strikes on fighters in Iraq". Al Arabiya English. 4 March 2026.
    53. 1 2 3 "Couple in northern Iraq killed in drone attack from Iran, local officials say". Al Jazeera English. 6 April 2026.
    54. 1 2 3 "Several drone, missile attacks hit Kurdistan Region, four injured: Sources". Rudaw. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
    55. ↑ "Two killed in Israeli strike on PMF base in Iraq". Shafaq News. 28 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
    56. ↑ "Kurdistan hit by over 450 drones, missiles since start of regional conflict, 14 killed". Rudaw. 25 March 2026. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
    57. ↑ "Three killed, several injured in renewed attacks on KDPI in Erbil". The New Region. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
    58. ↑ "Rocket attack kills six Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in Iraq's Kurdistan, sources say". www.reuters.com.
    59. 1 2 "Two killed as drones rain down in Kurdistan Region". The New Region.
    60. ↑ "Drone attack wounds 3 at PAK camp near Erbil". Al Jazeera English. 22 April 2026. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
    61. ↑ English, RUDAW (May 25, 2026). "Iranian attack injures 9 Kurdish fighters near Erbil, dissident group says". Rudaw.
    62. ↑ "Protests erupt near Baghdad's Green Zone after Khamenei killing". Iran International. 1 March 2026.
    63. ↑ "Iraq says will not allow any party to use its territory as base for attacks on Iran". Middle East Monitor. 11 March 2026.
    64. ↑ Solomon, Erika (12 March 2026). "Iraq vents anger at strikes on former militias now under government control". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
    65. ↑ Abdul-zahra, Qassim; Martany, Stella; Yahya, Rashid (4 March 2026). "Kurdish dissident groups say they are preparing to join the fight against Iran with US support". Halifax City News. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
    66. ↑ "Airlines cancel and reroute flights amid regional tensions". Reuters. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
    67. ↑ "Iraq coach Graham Arnold urges FIFA to postpone his team's World Cup playoff because of Iran war". ABC News. 9 March 2026.
    68. ↑ "Iraq taking private plane to Mexico for World Cup play-off". BBC Sport. 14 March 2026.
    69. ↑ "Iraqi Official Tells Alhurra Why Iraq Authorized PMF to Respond to Attacks". Alhurra. 25 March 2026.
    70. ↑ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (28 March 2026). "Gulf countries warn of rising threat from Iran-backed militias and proxies". The Guardian.
    71. ↑ Matza, Max (31 March 2026). "US journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad". BBC News.
    72. ↑ "American journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad". The New Region. 31 March 2026.
    73. ↑ "US urges contractor to evacuate workers over Iran-linked threats - Guardian". Iran International. 2026-04-20. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
    74. ↑ "Muqtada al Sadr announces integration of his militia into the Iraqi state". FDD's Long War Journal. 1 June 2026.
    75. ↑ Martany, Stella (2 June 2026). "Powerful Iran-backed militias in Iraq say they will start handing in weapons to authorities". AP News.
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