Ex-Mossad chief reveals how Israel protected agents in Iran, engineered Hezbollah pager attacks

Iraq suspects Israel may have targeted two sites where Iran-backed militias stored weapons supplied by Tehran, according to a recent report from the Arabic international newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. The potential targets reportedly housed "Chinese-made shoulder-fired air defense systems," though the specific type of system remains unclear.

One source indicated the attack occurred shortly after the weapons arrived at the storage sites, making it difficult to access or detect. However, the report did not provide any evidence to support these claims, stating that parts of the allegations could not be confirmed.

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group comprising numerous Iranian-backed militias, also reported an explosion on October 17 at one of their bases, although they initially claimed it to be an accident. The explosion affected a stockpile of obsolete ammunition at Baghdad's East Canal, injuring five individuals. Iraq's government stated they would investigate the incident.

This is not the first time Iraq has accused Israel of strikes within its borders. Iranian-backed militias have also laid blame on Israel for previous assaults, including in 2019 and a strike in Syria near the Iraqi border. In May, The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had set up a secret airstrip in Iraq during the Iran campaign.

Iran has long provided Iraqi militias with weapons, including missiles and drones capable of threatening Israel. The militias have carried out numerous attacks on Israel, particularly following the Hamas war on Israel on October 7, 2023. The Asharq Al-Awsat report also cited an unnamed Iraqi government official who said relevant authorities were still investigating the incident, with no updates provided over a week later.

Other sources mentioned that the explosion in mid-October followed another incident on October 1, during which warehouses belonging to Iran-backed groups in and around Baghdad were affected, including those containing drones intended for suicide attacks and reconnaissance.

Furthermore, reports suggest the Iran-backed militias are preparing for further escalation, with Iran carrying out over 1,000 strikes on the Kurdish region of northern Iraq since February, using drones and missiles. Additionally, Iran and its militias launched 600 attacks throughout Iraq, some targeting US diplomatic sites, leading to the US withdrawal of forces from Iraq on September 30.

The US has warned Americans not to travel to Baghdad and highlighted the terror threats from the militias. Asharq Al-Awsat attempted to link earlier reports about China supplying Iran with weapons to the movement of said systems to Iraq, but noted this information is unconfirmed.