Israel Intercepts Drone From Iraq

Latest Developments

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted a drone launched from Iraq over Israeli airspace on September 18. Israeli fighter jets shot down the drone around 4:30 a.m. as it approached the Sea of Galilee. The IDF reported no casualties, but sirens sounded in and around the northern Israeli city of Tiberias due to the risk of falling shrapnel. In a separate incident, Israeli air defenses intercepted a drone from Lebanon off the coast of Rosh Hanikra.

Expert Analysis

“The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has attempted to apply a steady amount of military pressure on Israel since the early months of the Gaza war. Much like their Hezbollah counterpart in Lebanon, Iraqi militias backed by Iran have made it a priority to assist Hamas in Gaza under the guise of protecting Palestinian civilians. Whether it’s militias in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, or Gaza, they all share the same goal of ensuring Hamas’s survival in the Gaza Strip.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

“The growing threat of attacks from Iraq, amid Israel’s ongoing entanglements in the West Bank, Gaza, and Lebanon, reflects the dangerous predicament Israel is in. While the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq often disseminates false claims of targeting ‘vital sites,’ this latest attempt can be grouped with the recent missile attack by the Houthis targeting central Israel, further reflecting the Islamic Republic’s ambitions of putting significant pressure on Israel’s security.” — Ahmad Sharawi, FDD Research Analyst

Attacks From Iraq Against Israel

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have targeted Israel several times with drones since October 7, including an attack on a power plant on March 21. On March 31, pro-Iran media outlet Al Mayadeen said that the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq — a loose coalition of Iranian-backed militias — targeted the Christian village of Eilaboun in the Galilee. The next day, the IDF said that a drone launched from Iraq by Iran-backed militias fell on an Israeli naval base in Eilat. Air defenses did not intercept the drone. The IDF said it identified a “suspicious aerial target” that flew toward Eilat from the east. “No injuries were reported and light damage was caused to a structure. The incident is under review,” the IDF said. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iran-backed group of militias, claimed it had targeted a “vital objective” in Israel “using appropriate weapons.” The same organization also escalated drone and missile attacks against U.S. and coalition troops in the region at the onset of Hamas’s war against Israel on October 7.

Related Analysis

“Iraqi Militia Threatens to Arm Jordanians Against Israel,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iraq-based Iranian Proxy, Kataib Hezbollah, Threatens Saudi Arabia and Israel,” FDD Flash Brief

“American Forces Under Attack by Iran and its Proxies,” by Cameron McMillan and Brad Bowman