Iraq officially announced Monday that pro-Iranian militias operating from its territory have ceased their attacks on Israel, at least for now.
From strikes on U.S. bases in retaliation for American support of Israel, to the bombardment of a so-called "Mossad headquarters" in Kurdistan, the targeting of Eilat as a key site for strikes and a deadly drone attack in the Golan Heights—this is how Iraq’s front in the Iron Swords War unfolded step by step.
A ‘proxy war’ against the US
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militias, began their campaign on October 17, 2023, with a series of strikes targeting U.S. bases. These attacks were framed as a response to American support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Rockets and drones targeted the Ain al-Assad air base in western Iraq, home to U.S. and foreign troops.
The next day, October 18, more than 20 people were injured in a drone attack launched from Iraq on the Al-Tanf base in Syria. By October 23, U.S. President Joe Biden abruptly left a press conference after reports of simultaneous strikes on three American bases in Iraq. Over the following months, more than 100 attacks were launched from Iraq against U.S. bases and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
US President Joe Biden abruptly leaves a press conference after reports of simultaneous strikes on three American bases in Iraq
On December 22, 2023, after the IDF published footage of a drone intercepted over Lebanese waters en route to Israel, Iraqi militias claimed responsibility for an attempted attack on the Karish offshore gas platform. The IDF did not confirm who launched the drone, and no damage was reported to the platform.
Drone intercepted over Lebanese waters en route to Israel
(Video: IDF)
Throughout the war, Iraq’s militias, positioning themselves as an additional front in Iran’s axis against Israel "in support of Gaza," issued numerous statements claiming responsibility for alleged drone and cruise missile launches against Israeli targets. They asserted strikes on "critical sites" in Tel Aviv, Haifa Bay, Ashdod, the Dead Sea and other areas. However, no evidence was provided, and no interceptions or damages were reported.
December 27, 2023: For the first time, a drone launched from Iraq exploded on Israeli soil at the Piq airfield south of Eliad, in the Golan Heights. The site, used by defense firm Elbit Systems for testing aircraft and aerial systems. There were no casualties.
December 31, 2023: An Israeli fighter jet intercepted a drone "approaching from the east" in the Jordan Valley.
January 4, 2024: A U.S. drone strike targeted and killed four members of an Iranian-backed militia in Baghdad’s Palestine Street. Iraqi police and eyewitnesses reported that, in addition to the drone strike, at least two missiles hit the headquarters of the militia, named Harakat al-Nujaba.
Among those killed was Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi, also known as "Abu Taqwa," the deputy commander of Baghdad operations for al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces), an umbrella organization of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
January 16, 2024: Iran launched 11 ballistic missiles into Iraqi Kurdistan, claiming to have destroyed a "Mossad headquarters" in retaliation for the killing of a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official. Kurdish sources reported that a millionaire and his family were killed in the attack.
January 29, 2024: Three U.S. soldiers were killed at the Tower 22 base in Jordan following a drone attack by pro-Iranian militias operating from Iraq. In response, on February 2, the U.S. conducted strikes on 85 targets linked to these militias in Iraq and Syria.
Eilat and the Golan in the crosshairs
April 1, 2024: For the first time, a drone launched from Iraq struck Eilat, directly hitting a naval base in the city. No injuries were reported, but a building was damaged.
Drone strikes a naval base in Eilat
April 20, 2024: A member of pro-Iranian militias was killed, and several others injured, in a massive explosion that rocked a military base south of Baghdad. An Iraqi source accused Israel, but both Israeli and U.S. officials denied involvement.
May 30, 2024: A cruise missile suspected to have been launched from Iraq was downed over the Golan Heights.
July 30, 2024: Houthi drone expert Hussein Abdullah Mastoor al-Shuaibi was killed in a U.S. strike in Iraq, along with four others. Reports indicated the target was a drone manufacturing and testing facility described as "one of Iran's most dangerous firepower sources against Israel."
September 20, 2024: A vehicle strike near Damascus Airport, attributed to Israel, killed operatives from Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah militia.
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September 22, 2024: Amid sirens in the Arava region, the IDF intercepted two cruise missiles launched from Iraq. Pro-Iranian militias claimed responsibility. Later that day, a drone penetrated Israeli airspace from Syria, with militias announcing a "drone swarm" targeting the Jordan Valley.
September 24, 2024: A drone launched from Iraq exploded in the Arava. No injuries were reported.
September 25, 2024: Two drones launched from Iraq targeted Eilat. The Navy intercepted one, while the other exploded at Eilat’s port, injuring two men, aged 68 and 28, with minor wounds.
September 29, 2024: An Israeli Navy missile ship intercepted a drone from Iraq over the Red Sea, en route to Israel.
October 2, 2024: A drone attack from Iraq in the northern Golan killed Sgt. Daniel Aviv Chaim Sofer, 19, and Cpl. Tal Dror, 19, from Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion. Twenty-four soldiers were injured, including one severely and another moderately.
October 23, 2024: The Israeli Air Force intercepted three drones launched from Iraq—two over the Gulf of Eilat and one over Syrian airspace. No sirens were sounded in Eilat despite the drones breaching Israel’s territorial waters, in line with IDF policy.
October 26, 2024: The New York Times reported that the first wave of Operation Days of Atonement in Iran included strikes in Iraq, targeting air defense systems and radars to prevent interference with operations in Iran.
November 11, 2024: A drone from Iraq was intercepted over the Arava.
November 14, 2024: The Israeli Air Force shot down two drones over Syrian airspace, launched from Iraq and heading toward Israel.
Two drones from Iraq intercepted over Eilat
(Video: Alif Khouri)
Cease-fire?
November 20: According to Saudi TV channel Al Hadath, the U.S. informed Iraq that it had "exhausted all means of pressuring Israel to avoid strikes on Baghdad," warning that "Israeli airstrikes will happen soon if Iraq does not stop pro-Iranian militia attacks."
November 28: Islamic Resistance in Iraq sources told Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar that the militias would continue their military activities against Israel in the coming days, saying they were not party to the cease-fire in Lebanon. However, no militia activity against Israel from Iraq was recorded after the cease-fire took effect.
December 23: Al-Akhbar reported that Iraq's pro-Iranian militia, Harakat al-Nujaba, reached an agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to halt military operations against Israel.
December 30: For the first time, Iraq officially confirmed the suspension of operations on this front. Yasser Wutut, a member of the Iraqi Parliament's Security and Defense Committee, told Qatari newspaper The New Arab that the militias’ cessation of attacks on Israel for over a month stemmed from pressure from the Iraqi government and Shiite political factions, as well as external threats. "Iraq received threats from Israel and the U.S. over militia activities, which were a major reason for halting the attacks," Wutut said.