Iraq Pulled Into Iran War As Tehran Expands The Battlefield

RFE
20 Mar 2026, 16:06 GMT+10

Since the United States and Israel launched their bombing campaign against Iran, Tehran has expanded the battlefield across the Middle East.

That includes in Irans western neighbor, Iraq, where Tehrans proxy forces have carried out almost daily attacks against US targets, including diplomatic and military facilities, triggering retaliatory American air strikes.

Iran itself has carried out waves of missile and drone strikes in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region in the north, where Iranian Kurdish opposition groups operate camps and offices.

The intensifying violence has threatened to destabilize Iraq, a Shiite-majority country of some 46 million people that is still recovering from years of insecurity following the US-led invasion in 2003 and the long conflict it set off.

The chances of Iraq being pulled deeper into the Iran war are extremely high, said Colin Clarke, executive director of the Soufan Center, a New York-based think tank.

That's partly a result of Tehran's influence, especially over the past two decades, where the regime has become in many ways inextricably linked with Iraqi militias.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Illinois Intelligencer.

More Information

North America

Section

Iraq Pulled Into Iran War As Tehran Expands The Battlefield

Since the United States and Israel launched their bombing campaign against Iran, Tehran has expanded the battlefield across the Middle...

Turkish president calls for unity and solidarity in Eid message amid West Asia turmoil

Ankara [Turkiye], March 20 (ANI): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in his Eid al-Fitr message on Friday, extended greetings...

Delhi Court directs NIA to expedite supplementary chargesheet against Tahawwur Rana in 26/11 conspiracy case

New Delhi [India], March 20 (ANI): In a key development regarding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack investigation, a Delhi court at Patiala...

European nations will eventually go with what US says: Foreign Expert Robinder Sachdev

New Delhi [India], March 20 (ANI): The ongoing tensions in the Gulf and the wider Middle East have prompted significant shifts in military...

Qatar assistance ensures safe repatriation of Indian national after stroke

Doha [Qatar], March 20 (ANI): An Indian national named Parminder stranded in Qatar amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, was successfully...

Explainer: Bombs or butter, why U.S. Operation Epic Fury ignites public fury?

Pentagon officials revealed that the initial six-day surge of the Iran campaign carried a price tag exceeding 11.3 billion dollars,...

International

Section