US offers rewards for 3 Iraqi militia leaders
On April 27, the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offered a $10 million reward for information on Haydar Muzhir Malak al Saidi, the leader of Harakat Ansar Allah al Awfiya,...
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis
Rockets target US Embassy in Baghdad after Iraqi Shiite militia group issues threat over war in Lebanon
On March 6, the Coordination Committee of the Iraqi Resistance (CCIR) issued an ultimatum over recent Israeli attacks in Lebanon: Stop bombing the southern Dahiyeh suburbs of Beirut (a known...
Op-eds
Don’t Fall for the Islamic Republic’s Attempt at “Christian-Washing”
On a recent trip to Israel, Mark Walker, President Trump’s nominee to be Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, did not mince words about the administration’s priorities. “We want...
Op-eds
Trump Ends the Folly of De-escalation
In my first year at West Point, I was part of a cordon of cheering cadets who lined Thayer Road to welcome back to American soil 52 people who had been held hostage by the Iranian regime for...
Op-eds
Iranian-backed militias threaten US amid rising tensions in Iraq over Iran-Israel conflict
The Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq has threatened to target “US interests” in the Middle East if the US intervenes in the Israel-Iran conflict, according to several regional Arabic reports. The...
Op-eds
Iraq in the Crossfire
Iraq was in crisis before Israel and Iran started trading blows. Now, it’s next door to a conflict.
Op-eds
US adds Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Imam Ali to list of terror organizations
The US Treasury Department added Kataib Imam Ali (the “Imam Ali Brigades”) to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists on June 12, 2025. Kataib Imam Ali is one of the many Iraqi...
Op-eds
Pro-Iran militias parade for ‘Quds Day’ in Iraq
Pro-Iranian militias from the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) took part in Quds Day events in Iraq on March 28.
Op-eds
Pro-Iranian Iraqi militia leaders gather in Lebanon for Hezbollah leader’s funeral
Delegations and leaders of pro-Iranian Iraqi militias traveled to Lebanon for the funeral of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on February 23.
Op-eds
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq face an uncertain future
Iraq’s pro-Iranian militias face an uncertain future after the December fall of the Bashar al Assad regime in Syria and amid pressure from Iraqi authorities for armed groups to be disbanded or incorporated...
Op-eds
Trump Doctrine 2.0: What It Means for the Middle East
Countries across the Middle East are making moves and preparing for President Donald Trump’s incoming United States administration. Many of the region’s leaders were in power during the first...
Op-eds
The role of Iraqi Shia militias as proxies in Iran’s Axis of Resistance
Iran’s 45-year trajectory from the Khomeini revolution to its current challenge to Israel, the West, and the Rules-Based International System (RBIS) led to developing and solidifying its “Axis...
Op-eds
Iran-Backed Militias Face Crisis After Assad’s Fall in Syria
Four years ago, in January 2020, a US drone carried out a strike in Iraq near Baghdad International Airport, killing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force leader Qasem...
Op-eds
Tehran’s triad: propaganda, proxies, and preparedness
The regime in Tehran finds itself increasingly besieged by challenges, ranging from the faltering influence of its regional proxies to the prospect of an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities, potentially...
Op-eds
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq may stop attacking Israel
A report this week indicates that some of these militias and groups have stepped back from attacks in the wake of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.
Op-eds
Syrian regime may lose Aleppo due to Iran’s failures
Up until several days ago, the Syrian regime believed its backers in Moscow and Tehran could keep it safe.
Op-eds
Israel kills wanted Hezbollah commander behind the establishment of Iraq’s Iran-backed militias
A recent Israeli airstrike in Syria killed Ali Mousa Daqduq, one of Hezbollah’s most wanted military leaders who served as the deputy commander of the Radwan Unit at the time of his death,...
Op-eds
How will Iran’s proxies in Iraq respond to US election?
Iranian militias ramp up drone attacks on Israel, await US response post-election.
Op-eds
Iran’s Great Ballistic Missile Attack Gamble
The October 1 attack by Iran is its largest gamble yet. It knows Israel is primed to respond. It knows that Israel has backing from the West. It also knows Israel significantly weakened Hamas and Hezbollah, removing two of the Iranian-backed fronts against Israel. Nevertheless, Iran’s regime believes it is stronger than it was in the past and ready to confront Israel.
Op-eds
IDF kills Hassan Nasrallah: Five ways the strike changes Israel’s war
The IDF airstrike on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah weakens Iran’s regional influence and disrupts Hezbollah’s operations.