Iran-backed militias in Iraq accuse US of violating airspace, as threats grow - analysis
On October 24, the US Embassy in Iraq published an update to the State Department's travel advisory, noting there is a risk of terrorist violence.
Iran-backed militias in Iraq have accused the United States of violating Iraqi airspace, amid growing tensions between the Iraqi government and the militias over efforts to bring weapons under state control. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, has accused Baghdad of appeasing the US due to Washington's pressure on Iraq.
The militias claim to have documented 171 violations of Iraqi airspace by US fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft between September 30 and Friday. The accusations come after the US-led anti-ISIS coalition formally ended its military mission in Iraq on September 30, and as Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi seeks to use the transition to bring militia weapons under government control.
The dispute highlights a central challenge facing Iraq, as Iran-backed factions continue to portray their weapons as necessary for confronting Washington and Israel, putting them at odds with Baghdad's efforts to assert state authority over armed groups.
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