Iran's Revolutionary Guards created secret cells inside Iraq to launch attacks on Gulf states that host American troops, bypassing established militia networks in an apparent effort to avoid detection, according to a Reuters investigation.
Eight Iraqi sources, including military and security officials as well as militia commanders, told Reuters that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) established three or four small units made up of elite Iraqi Shi'ite fighters.
The cells allegedly carried out at least seven drone attacks between 20 April and 17 May against targets in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The attacks were launched from remote desert areas near the southern Iraqi cities of Basra and Samawa, according to three of the sources.
The cells are said to operate outside the command structure of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group that includes several powerful Iran-backed factions. Instead, they report directly to the IRGC, the sources said.
According to Reuters, the move signals a shift in Iranian strategy at a time when Tehran's network of regional allies has been weakened by months of conflict across the Middle East.
Several of Iran's traditional proxy groups have suffered setbacks. Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have come under sustained military pressure, while Yemen's Houthis have faced repeated U.S. and British strikes. The fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year also disrupted key supply routes used by Iran-backed groups.
At the same time, some Iraqi militias have begun distancing themselves from regional conflicts. Several influential factions have indicated they are willing to disarm and focus on domestic politics amid growing pressure from Washington.
Two groups, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Imam Ali Brigades, announced this month that they would start handing over weapons to Iraqi authorities following repeated U.S. demands for Baghdad to dismantle armed organisations operating outside state control.
Jasim al-Bahadli, a retired Iraqi army general and expert on Shi'ite armed groups, said the new cells appear designed for a different mission.
"The newer groups established by the IRGC appear smaller, more ideologically hardened and more tightly controlled, reflecting Iran's need to conserve resources amid economic strain," he told Reuters.
According to Iraqi security sources cited by Reuters, the covert units carried out at least three drone attacks against Kuwait, two against Saudi Arabia and two against the UAE.
Among the reported targets was Kuwait's Ali Al Salem Air Base, which hosts US forces, as well as a military facility at Kuwait International Airport. Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims.
The attacks come despite a new interim agreement signed this week by the United States and Iran aimed at ending the recent conflict and opening the door to further negotiations. Iranian officials have made clear that Tehran's support for regional armed groups remains outside the scope of those talks.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson reiterated Washington's expectation that Iraq dismantle what it described as "the tools of Iran's destabilizing activities in Iraq", including the IRGC and allied militias.
The allegations pose an early challenge for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who took office last month. His government has pledged to ensure Iraqi territory is not used to threaten neighbouring countries.
The issue also threatens Baghdad's efforts to improve relations with Gulf Arab states. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE reportedly summoned Iraqi diplomats in April to protest the drone attacks.
Iraqi authorities are investigating whether one of the incidents included a May 17 drone strike that caused a fire at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, according to security officials cited by Reuters.
Zaidi condemned attacks on neighbouring countries as criminal acts and promised joint investigations. However, Iraqi officials acknowledge they still have only limited information about the new groups and are working to uncover how they operate and who commands them.
According to Reuters, the emergence of these covert cells highlights Iran's effort to maintain influence across the region while relying on smaller, harder-to-trace networks as its traditional proxy structure comes under increasing strain.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has s...
More than 800 Afghan families returned from Pakistan and Iran over two days as Afghan authorities continued receiving thousands of people arriving thr...
Japan is carrying out its biggest military buildup since World War II, with Tokyo citing China's expanding military capabilities and increasingly asse...
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has a "last chance" to sign what he described as "a good document", claiming talks are continuing at Tehran's request with backing from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has said. Iran refrained from taking action after Kyiv said the strike was a mistake, Mohsen Rezaei told the state IRIB TV channel.
Indonesian rescue teams are searching for 28 people still unaccounted for, three days after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Madura island.
Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, killing two crew members as emergency services continued efforts to contain fires fuelled by extreme heat and dry conditions across Europe.
Nauru, the world’s third smallest country, has changed its name to Naoero, the Pacific island nation’s President said. The new name corresponds to the spelling and pronunciation in the national language.
More than 800 Afghan families returned from Pakistan and Iran over two days as Afghan authorities continued receiving thousands of people arriving through deportations and voluntary returns from neighbouring countries.
Türkiye has urged Russia and Ukraine to protect civilian shipping in the Black Sea after a drone struck a Turkish-owned cargo ship, reportedly injuring three crew members. Ankara said attacks on commercial vessels risk further destabilising maritime security.
Central Asian countries are adapting their energy strategies as Russia’s fuel sector comes under mounting pressure from Ukrainian drone attacks on oil infrastructure and continuing export restrictions.
Switzerland aims to deepen its economic partnership with Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said during his first official visit to the country. The trip marks the first stop on his wider tour of Central Asia.
Georgia has unveiled a new funding model for public universities, highlighting the different ways higher education is financed across the South Caucasus. While Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia all provide state support, their funding systems differ significantly.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment