Attacks from all sides: Why Iraq was dragged into US-Israel war on Iran

EXPLAINERIraq has seen attacks from both sides of the conflict: Iran and its proxies target US bases while US has bombed pro-Iran groups.A photograph shows the Iraq-Iran border crossing of Bashmaq near Sulaimaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region on March 11, 2026 [AFP]Published On 11 Mar 2026Within hours of the United States-Israeli attacks on Iran, US assets in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region came under retaliatory attacks from Tehran-backed groups, dragging the country into the conflict that has since expanded across the Middle East and beyond.Since then, US assets located in Iraq have come under multiple attacks from pro-Iran groups and Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC). The US has also carried out attacks against these Iraqi groups.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4How will soaring oil prices caused by Iran war impact food costs?list 2 of 4Oil prices swing wildly amid mixed messages over Iran warlist 3 of 4The ‘orphan pearl’: Inside Kharg, the beating heart of Iran’s oil empirelist 4 of 4Iran war: What is happening on day 12 of US-Israel attacks?end of listDuring a news conference in the capital, Baghdad, on Monday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said, “Iraq has become one of the countries directly affected by the ongoing conflict.” The country, Hussein said, is facing attacks from “both sides of the conflict”.Iran has also carried out near-daily attacks on US assets in the energy-rich Gulf countries, causing a spike in oil prices and threatening the global economy.In this explainer, we unpack what is happening in Iraq and why.What is happening in Iraq?On Wednesday, a suicide drone was intercepted near the US Consulate in Erbil, and loud explosions were heard in the area, multiple news wires reported, quoting unnamed security and diplomatic sources.On the same day, a drone attack in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region killed a member of an Iranian Kurdish opposition group, the Komala Party. The party blamed Iran for the attack, which Iran has not commented on.A drone struck a key US diplomatic facility in Iraq on Tuesday in suspected retaliation by pro-Tehran armed groups over the US-Israeli war on Iran, The Washington Post reported, quoting an unidentified security official and an internal US State Department alert.The strike hit the diplomatic support centre, a logistical hub for US diplomats near Baghdad airport and Iraqi military bases, the Post reported. It was not clear from the report whether there were any injuries.The report added that six drones were launched towards the compound in Baghdad, one of which hit the US facility while five were shot down. The security official, whom the Post said spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive security situation, was not aware of any casualties.The attack was likely carried out by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, the Post reported, quoting the security official.On Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC) said they hit a US base in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region. “The headquarters of the invading US army in Al-Harir Air Base in the Kurdistan Region was targeted with five missiles,” they said in a statement on their Telegram channel.Earlier on the same day, the Iran-backed Kataib Imam Ali group, affiliated with the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), said four of its members were killed and 12 injured in air attacks in northern Iraq that it blamed on the US.The group claimed its fighters were killed in “American aggression” against their position in the Dibis district of Kirkuk province.Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Tuesday told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that his country should not be used as a launchpad for attacks in the Middle East war, the Iraqi government said.But Iraq, long a proxy battleground between the US and Iran, has been drawn into the conflict from the outset, with attacks attributed to the US, Iran-backed groups and the IRGC.In the past 12 days, drone and rocket attacks have hit Baghdad International Airport, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, as well as oilfields and facilities. Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, has also come under multiple attacks.Iran has also attacked Iranian Kurdish groups based in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, after reports that Washington planned to arm them to fight Tehran. Last week, the leader of an Iranian Kurdish nationalist group based in the Kurdish region told Al Jazeera that it is “highly likely” that Iranian Kurds will stage a cross-border ground operation into Iran.But Babasheikh Hosseini, the secretary-general of the Khabat Organisation of Iranian Kurdistan, said on Friday there was no operation “at this point”, but the US had made contact with the group and it was considering a campaign.Overnight on March 4, local media reported that Iraqi forces shot down a drone that attempted to attack a US military facility, Victoria airbase, near Baghdad International Airport.Which US military assets does Iraq host?The US maintains a presence at Ain al-Asad Air Base in western Anbar province, supporting Iraqi security forces and contributing to the NATO mission, according to the White House. Iranian missile strikes targeted the base in 2020 in retaliation for the US killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.Erbil Air Base in the Kurdistan Region serves as a hub for US and coalition forces conducting training exercises and battle drills. The base supports US military efforts by providing a secure location for training, intelligence sharing, and logistical coordination in northern Iraq, according to the congressional report.As of early 2026, about 2,500 US soldiers were in Iraq. However, since the US has withdrawn its troops from its bases in the Middle East, it is unclear how many of these soldiers remain in the country.The US maintains a limited number of military facilities across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, far fewer than during the occupation years, but their exact number and size are not publicly disclosed.These also include Victoria Base or Camp Victoria, which is located near Baghdad International Airport, and Harir Air Base, northeast of Erbil.Why is Iraq being attacked from all sides?“Iraq’s predicament stems from the fragmentation of its state and its foreign policy,” Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow and director of the Iraq Initiative at UK-based think tank Chatham House, told Al Jazeera.“Different parts of the Iraqi political and security landscape are aligned with competing external powers: Some factions maintain close ties with Iran, while others are more closely connected to the US.”Mansour explained that because of this fragmentation, there is no single, coherent foreign policy guiding the state.“While Baghdad has previously protested violations of its sovereignty by both Washington and Tehran, its capacity to enforce those objections is limited.”Mansour explained that this is because informal networks and militias in the country hold influence, playing a major role in decision-making and security.Iran deepened its support for Shia Islamist parties and armed groups following the toppling of Saddam Hussein in the US-led invasion in 2003.Shia armed groups, which formed part of the PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi, played a leading role in the defeat of ISIL (ISIS) in Iraq between 2014 and 2017. The ISIL group, which counted on the support of the minority Sunni, emerged following years of chaos and sectarian politics.Thousands of members of pro-Iran armed groups have been absorbed into the state security institutions. Groups such as Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al‑Haq, which are part of the PMF, are aligned with Tehran’s geopolitical interests.Additionally, experts say that Iran sees Iraq as the place where it can hit US interests to make Washington pay a higher price for its policies.