Starting on 17 October 2023, and in response to

United States support for Israel in the Gaza war Following the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the outbreak of the Gaza war, the United States has provided extensive military, diplomatic, and financial support to Israel throughout the Gaza war. This included rapid deployment of wars ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

-backed

militias A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or serve ...

initiated a coordinated series of more than 170 attacks on US

military bases A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

and assets in

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, and

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

. These attacks resulted in injuries to dozens of US service members. In retaliation, the US has launched multiple counterattacks, resulting in the death of about 65 militants including a senior commander of the Nujaba Movement,

Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi Mushtaq Talib Al-Saeedi (; 1980 – 4 January 2024), also known as Abu Taqwa, was an Iraqi militant of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba. He was also a senior commander of the 12th brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces. Biography Born in Baghdad ...

. In February 2024, following US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, militia attacks against US forces were halted. Iraqi militias agreed with the Iraqi government in December 2024 to fully cease their attacks following the

fall of the Assad regime On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed during a 2024 Syrian opposition offensives, major offensive by Syrian opposition, opposition forces. The offensive was spearheaded by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported mainly by the Turk ...

Attacks

Iraq

Al-Asad air base

On 17 October 2023, amid the

Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

, Iraqi militants launched a

drone strike Drone warfare is a form of warfare using Military drone, military drones or Military robot, military robots. The robots may be Telerobotics, remote controlled or have varying levels of Autonomous robot, autonomy during their mission. Types of ro ...

al-Asad Airbase Al-Asad Airbase is an Iraqi airbase located in al-Anbar Governorate of western Iraq. It was originally known as Qadisiyah Airbase. It was the second largest US military airbase in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Until January 2010, it was ...

, a United States base in northern Iraq. The airstrike was intercepted. The next day, a false alarm in the airbase caused the death of a civilian contractor from

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

. On 20 October, the US ordered all non-emergency staff to leave their embassy in

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

and consulate in

Erbil Erbil (, ; , ), also called Hawler (, ), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The city is the capital of the Erbil Governorate. Human settlement at Erbil may be dated back to the 5th millennium BC. At the h ...

. On 20 November, eight US and coalition soldiers were injured from a ballistic missile attack, and there was minor infrastructural damage after the air base was attacked by a ballistic missile. On 20 January 2024, the

Islamic Resistance in Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI; ) refers to an informal network of Iranian-backed Shia Islamist armed groups in Iraq. The name is used by members of the network when carrying out attacks against American forces or its allies in the region ...

claimed responsibility for striking the base with dozens of missiles which injured several US military personnel and an Iraqi service member. At 6:30 p.m.

time, the IRI launched multiple

ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typic ...

s and other

rocket A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...

s at the Al-Asad Airbase. The United States military attempted to defend the base with Patriot

missile A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...

s. More than 15 MIM-104 Patriot

s were launched to defend the base. On August 5, 2024, a missile attack targeted the

Al-Asad airbase Al-Asad Airbase is an Iraqi airbase located in al-Anbar Governorate of western Iraq. It was originally known as Qadisiyah Airbase. It was the second largest US military airbase in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Until January 2010, it was ...

in western

, resulting in injuries to at least five US servicemembers and two contractors. The attack involved the firing of two

Katyusha rockets The Katyusha ( rus, Катю́ша, p=kɐˈtʲuʂə, a=Ru-Катюша.ogg) is a type of rocket artillery first built and fielded by the Soviet Union in World War II. Multiple rocket launchers such as these deliver explosives to a target area m ...

, which landed inside the base. One of the injured servicemembers sustained serious injuries. The incident is seen as a potential escalation in the ongoing tensions between

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Al-Harir air base

On 8 November 2023, an armed drone targeted al-Harir air base hosting US forces in northern Iraq. On 25 December 2023, the

claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the base which injured three US soldiers, one being critical.

Other attacks in Iraq

On 9 November, US forces were struck three separate times in 24 hours, including drone strikes in

Al-Asad Airbase Al-Asad Airbase is an Iraqi airbase located in al-Anbar Governorate of western Iraq. It was originally known as Qadisiyah Airbase. It was the second largest US military airbase in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Until January 2010, it was ...

and Al-Harir Air Base, as well as an IED attack on a patrol near the

Mosul Dam Mosul Dam (), formerly known as Saddam Dam (), is the largest dam in Iraq. It is located on the Tigris river in the western governorate of Nineveh, upstream of the city of Mosul. The dam serves to generate hydroelectricity and provide water for ...

. On 18 January 2024, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone after it took off from

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

near

Muqdadiyah Miqdadiyah (; , Şareban (Shareban, Sharaban)) is a city in the Diyala Governorate of Iraq. Its population is a mix of Arab, Kurds, Kurdish and Iraqi Turkmen, Turkmen. The city is located about 80 km (50 mi) northeast of Baghdad and 30 k ...

Diyala Governorate Diyala Governorate ( ) or Diyala Province is a Governorates of Iraq, governorate in northeastern Iraq. Provincial Government *Governor: Muthanna al-Tamimi *Deputy Governor: Mohammed Jassim al-Jubouri Council Geography Diyala Governorate ...

. On 10 September, two rockets exploded in the vicinity of American personnel stationed in

Camp Victory Camp Victory was the primary component of the Victory Base Complex (VBC) which occupied the area surrounding the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). The Al-Faw Palace, which served as the headquarters for the Multi-National Corps – Iraq (a ...

, near

Baghdad International Airport Baghdad International Airport , previously Saddam International Airport from 1982 to 2003, () is Iraq's largest international airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate. It is the home base for Ira ...

. No casualties were reported. Jaafar al-Husseini, the spokesperson of Kata'ib Hezbollah, said that the attack aimed to disrupt Iranian president

Masoud Pezeshkian Masoud Pezeshkian (, ; born 29 September 1954) is an Iranian politician and physician who has been serving as the ninth president of Iran since 28 July 2024. Pezeshkian served as governor of Piranshahr and Naghadeh counties and was elected to ...

's visit to Baghdad, which was scheduled the following day.

Syria

Al-Tanf garrison

On 18 October 2023, a drone strike by an Iranian proxy on the

al-Tanf Al-Tanf () is a U.S. military base in a part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria, which is controlled by the Syrian Free Army. It is located 24 km (15 mi) west of the al-Walid border crossing in the Syrian Desert. The surrounding decon ...

garrison resulted in over 20 injuries. On 1 November, a minor drone strike was reported at the

garrison.

Al-Omar field

On 4 February 2024, a drone struck a training ground in Al-Omar field in

Deir ez-Zor Deir ez-Zor () is the largest city in eastern Syria and the seventh largest in the country. Located on the banks of the Euphrates to the northeast of the capital Damascus, Deir ez-Zor is the capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. In the 2018 ...

, eastern Syria, which houses US troops, according to the

Syrian Democratic Forces The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a Kurds in Syria, Kurdish-led coalition of U.S.-backed Left-wing politics, left-wing ethnic militias and rebel groups, and serves as the official military wing of the Democratic Autonomous Administration ...

. Though no casualties were reported among US forces, at least seven Kurdish fighters were killed and 18 injured. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack. The SDF condemned the attack, and said it had "every right to respond".

Other attacks in Syria

On 24 October 2023, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq claimed responsibility for multiple drone strikes on US bases in eastern Syria, notably al-Omar oil field in

Deir ez-Zor Governorate Deir ez-Zor Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Dayr az-Zawr,'' Kurdish'':'' ''Parêzgeha Dêrezor'') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in eastern Syria, bordering Iraq. It has an area of 33,060 k ...

and al-Shaddadi in the

Al-Hasakah Governorate Al-Hasakah Governorate (; ; , also known as , ''Gozarto'') is one of the fourteen Governorates of Syria, governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is located in the far north-east corner of Syria and distinguished by its fertile lands, plentiful water ...

. On 10 January 2024, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq claimed responsibility for an attack on Hemo base in north of Hasakah province. As a result of this attack, the US withdrew from the base, evacuating 350 US soldiers and relocating them to Tal Baidar base. Tal Baidar base was previously targeted by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq in November 2023. On 21 April 2024, five rockets were fired from Zummar, Iraq towards the

Kharab al-Jir base Kharab al-Jir base is a United States military installation in northeastern Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea ...

in Syria which houses US and coalition soldiers in the first major attack since early February. No US personnel were injured. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights blamed the attack on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. Iraqi authorities launched a search in Nineveh province, locating and burning the vehicle used in the attack. On 9 August 2024, a kamikaze drone struck the US military base Rumalyn Landing Zone in eastern Syria, injuring eight US soldiers. On 13 August 2024, six rockets targeting an US airbase in

fell near the facility. As a response to the strike, US-led coalition launched artillery strikes.

Jordan

Tower 22 outpost

On 28 January 2024, a one-way drone attack took place at a US outpost in

, resulting in the deaths of three US soldiers and injuries to 47 others.

US response

On 27 October 2023, the United States military responded to the airstrikes by bombing weapons and ammunition storage facilities in

Abu Kamal Abu Kamal (), also known as Al-Bukamal (), is a city in eastern Syria located on the Euphrates river in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate and near the border with Iraq. It is the administrative centre of the Abu Kamal District and the local subdistr ...

with

F-16 fighter jet The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolve ...

s. They further stated that a total of 16 military airstrikes were conducted by

-backed groups; 12 in

and four in

. On 8 November, the US Department of Defense announced that they had carried out attacks against the IRGC and IRGC-linked targets in

. According to the

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (also known as SOHR; ), founded in May 2006, is a United Kingdom-based information office whose stated aim is to document human rights abuses in Syria; since 2011 it has focused on the Syrian Civil War. ...

, 9 workers in the facilities were killed in the strikes. On 12 November, the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...

and Central command announced additional US airstrikes targeting IRGC affiliated groups in response to continued airstrikes against US forces in the region. The attacks targeted a safe house and training area used by militias in

Mayadin Mayadin (/ALA-LC: ''al-Miyādīn'') is a town in eastern Syria. It is the capital of the Mayadin District, part of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. Mayadin is about 44 kilometers southeast of Deir ez-Zor. The Euphrates River flows through the town ...

and

and resulted in the killing of 8 militiamen. On 21 November, a USAF

AC-130 The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, attack aircraft, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of ground-attack weapons that are integrated with sensors, nav ...

gunship A gunship is a military aircraft armed with heavy aircraft guns, primarily intended for attacking ground targets either as airstrike or as close air support. In modern usage the term "gunship" refers to fixed-wing aircraft having laterally-mo ...

retaliated against a

Kata'ib Hezbollah Kata'ib Hezbollah (), also known as the Hezbollah Brigades, is an Iraqi Shia paramilitary group which is a part of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), staffing the 45th, 46th, and 47th Brigades. During the Iraq War (2003–11), the g ...

vehicle near Abu Gharib, in response to the Islamic Resistance In Iraq's 20 November missile attack on US forces at Ain al Assad Airbase. According to US assessments, several Iran-backed fighters were killed in the strike. The following day, US fighters jets conducted airstrikes on Iraqi

facilities, killing over eight fighters. On 4 December, a US airstrike near

Kirkuk Kirkuk (; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate. The city is home to a diverse population of Kurds, Iraqi Turkmen, Iraqi Turkmens and Arabs. Kirkuk sits on the ruins of the original Kirkuk Cit ...

killed five Iraqi militants as they attempted to fire explosive projectiles at US forces. They were identified as members of an Iran-backed militia. The

claimed that the five people killed were its members, and vowed retaliation against the US On 26 December, the US conducted an airstrike on a PMU base in

Hillah Hillah ( ''al-Ḥillah''), also spelled Hilla, is a city in central Iraq. On the Hilla branch of the Euphrates River, it is south of Baghdad. The population was estimated to be about 455,700 in 2018. It is the capital of Babylon Province and is ...

which killed one soldier and injured 20 others, with at least 12 being members of the

Ministry of Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, th ...

. On 4 January 2024, the United States carried out a drone strike on the headquarters of Harakat Al-Nujaba in Baghdad, with the specific target being

, a senior leader of Harakat al Nujaba held responsible for orchestrating attacks against US forces. The strike resulted in the death of four individuals, including al-Saidi, and left six others wounded. According to Iraqi militia sources and police reports, the attack involved two rockets fired from a drone, which struck a vehicle within the headquarters. On 23 January 2024, the United States launched a series of airstrikes on three facilities used by Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The United States defence secretary,

Lloyd Austin Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is a retired United States Army four-star General (United States), general who served as the 28th United States Secretary of Defense, United States secretary of defense from 2021 to 2025. Before ...

, announced the strikes in a statement the same day. The strikes targeted several militia groups with connections to Iran, including

Kataib Hezbollah Kata'ib Hezbollah (), also known as the Hezbollah Brigades, is an Iraqi Shia paramilitary group which is a part of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), staffing the 45th, 46th, and 47th Brigades. During the Iraq War (2003–11), the gr ...

. The Iraqi government later accused the United States of escalating existing regional tensions. Lloyd Austin defended the attacks. Kataib Hezbollah announced the suspension of operations against the US on 30 January. Kataib Hezbollah also distanced its activities from Iran claiming "our brothers in the

axis An axis (: axes) may refer to: Mathematics *A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular: ** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system *** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...

– especially in the Islamic Republic – do not know how we work jihad".

February 2024 airstrikes

On 2 February, the US launched retaliatory airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, in response to an attack that killed three US troops in Jordan. According to the

, at least 35 Iran-backed militiamen were killed in the strikes in Syria. Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces announced that 16 of their fighters were killed in the airstrikes. On 7 February, a US drone strike on a vehicle in the Mashtal neighborhood of Baghdad reportedly killed a commander of Kata'ib Hezbollah. Another source reported that the attack targeted a vehicle used by the Popular Mobilization Forces and killed three people. US officials did not make a comment about the attack. According to Reuters, other pro-Iranian groups were also hit in the attack. Following the airstrikes, militia attacks against US forces were halted.

July 2024 airstrikes

On 30 July, the US carried out an airstrike near Babylon, Iraq, killing four members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units and a

Houthi The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Zaydi Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaydi Shias, with their namesake leadership being drawn largely ...

drone specialist and injuring four others. Iraq condemned the strike saying the US-led military coalition committed a "heinous crime" by targeting security sites and said the attacks were a serious violation of the coalition's mission and mandate.

Iraqi government response

On 5 January 2024,

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani Muhammad Shayya al-Sudani (born 4 March 1970) is an Iraqi politician who has been the Prime Minister of Iraq since 27 October 2022. Prior to his premiership, he held a number of ministerial positions; namely, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs ...

announced that the Iraqi government would begin a process towards the removal of the US-led international military coalition following the American drone strike on

which assassinated Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi. After the 23 January 2024 US attacks in Iraq, the US and Iraqi government agreed to begin talks on the future of the US military presence in Iraq, including discussions on the feasibility of a complete US military withdrawal from Iraq. On March 22, Iraqi Foreign Minister

Fuad Hussein Fuad Mohammed Hussein (; ) is an Kurds in Iraq, Iraqi Kurdish politician from the Kurdistan Democratic Party who is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs (Iraq), Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was previously the Ministry of Finance (Ira ...

met with

Jake Sullivan Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan (born November 28, 1976) is an American attorney who served as the National Security Advisor (United States), U.S. national security advisor from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. Sullivan previously served as Dire ...

, the National Security Advisor to the US President, during his trip to the United States. On 23 March, it was announced that Iraqi PM al-Sudani will visit the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

Washington DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

on 15 April to hold formal talks about reducing the presence of the US-led military coalition in Iraq. In September 2024, the Iraqi government and the US reached an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq. Reports stated that the agreement would see hundreds of troops leave by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026.

Developments

On 30 January 2024,

announced the suspension of all its military operations against US forces in the region after the

Tower 22 drone attack On 28January 2024, an attack drone, launched by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq—an Iranian-backed Shia militia group—struck Tower22, a U.S. military outpost in Rukban, northeast Jordan. The explosion killed three U.S. soldiers and injured 4 ...

which killed 3 US soldiers and injured 47 others. They announced this decision was taken out of preventing "embarrassment" of the Iraqi government which has called for all resistance parties to de-escalate the situation. On 1 April 2024, Abu Ali al-Askari, security chief of Kata'ib Hezbollah based in Iraq, said the organisation was prepared to arm "Islamic Resistance" in

and is ready to provide "12,000 fighters with light and medium weapons, anti-armor launchers, tactical missiles, millions of rounds of ammunition, and tons of explosives" to "defend the Palestinians and avenge the honour of Muslims." On the same day, al-Tanf garrison in Syria was attacked by a one-way attack drone which was intercepted. On 19 June 2025, Kata'ib Hezbollah leader Abu Ali al-Askari vowed to attack U.S. bases if the United States entered the

Iran–Israel war The Iran–Israel War is an ongoing armed conflict between Iran and Israel. Active hostilities broke out amid poor relations between Iran and Israel, 2025 United States–Iran negotiations , negotiations between Iran and the United States ov ...

in support of Israel, stating "should the United States enter into this war, the deranged

Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

shall forfeit all the trillions he dreams of seizing from this region. Operational plans have been established for that purpose."

Notes

References

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