Iran has that Iranian dissident groups are present in the Kurdistan region.
TheKurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) interior ministry on Friday pointed the finger at Iranian-backed militias in Iraq as culprits behind recent drone attacks.
The attacks began on June 24 when the ceasefire came into force after 12 days of Iran-Israel conflict. The US had bombed Iran, and then Qatar helped broker a ceasefire. As this was happening, drones targeted several Iraqi military bases. Radar sites at Camp Taji and Imam Ali were struck. Imam Ali air base is near Nahariyah in southern Iraq. Taji is a massive base north of Baghdad.
Within days, the attacks spread. Rockets were launched at K-1 airport near Kirkuk. Then, drones targeted Sulimaniyeh, Dohuk and Erbil. More drone attacks have occurred throughout the week of July 1-5.
The Iran-backed militias launching drones across the Middle East
Rudaw, a media outlet in Erbil, the capital of the KRG, noted that the local authorities believe that the Hashd al-Shaabi or the Popular Mobilization Forces are behind the attacks. This is a group of dozens of pro-Iranian militias. Some of them have access to Iranian drones and missiles.
Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba are a few of the examples of the powerful militias. Kataib Hezbollah launched a drone attack in January 2024 that killed three Americans in Jordan. These groups have targeted Israel as well in the past, as well as US bases in Syria and US forces in Iraq.
A drone view shows the Zubair Oil Field in Basra, Iraq, January 16, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Mohammed Aty)
“Last night, a drone crashed in a deserted area near Erbil. These attacks are being carried out by some groups affiliated with Hashd al-Shaabi with the intention of creating chaos. It is necessary for the relevant parties in the federal government to set limits on these destructive acts and take legal measures against the perpetrators,” the KRG ministry said in a statement late Friday.
“An explosive-laden drone was intercepted near Erbil International Airport on Thursday, but did not cause any casualties or material damage,” the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), which is part of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), said.
Rudaw noted, “The renewed drone activity follows the US-brokered ceasefire that went into effect on June 24, ending the 12 day war between Iran and Israel. During the conflict, numerous drones and rockets flew through the airspace of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, where several drones fell or were intercepted.”
Iraq is not happy. The KRG is an autonomous region. Meanwhile, in Baghdad the PMF enjoys support from pro-Iranian politicians who are powerful in Iraq. This includes key groups such as Badr, which is a member of the PMF and also a powerful political machine in Iraq.
The PKF were able to become an official paramilitary group of Iraq in 2018, receiving salaries from the government, despite their connections to Iran and connections to illegal activity such as drone attacks and assassinations and kidnappings. For instance, Kataib Hezbollah kidnapped Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov in March 2023. The Trump administration has sought to free her.
Now, the Iraqi government has condemned the KRG, claiming it is unacceptable for Erbil to blame the PMF.
“The accusation issued by the Ministry of Interior in the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] against an official Iraqi security institution is unacceptable, condemned, and impermissible under any pretext, especially since it was issued in the absence of evidence,” the Iraqi prime minister’s spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said in a statement.
Baghdad’s rejection of the accusations was reported in Arabic media as well. Iraq is in the middle of dealing with the Ashura pilgrimage this weekend as well. Iraqi Shafaq media noted that the Joint Operations Command in Baghdad has planned for “security arrangements with the Supreme Coordination Committee, comprised of the Ministers of Interior, Electricity, and Health, as well as the governors of Karbala, Babil, and Najaf, the service committees, the Joint Operations Command, and the police and Popular Mobilization Forces.”
There is also an ongoing salary dispute and energy deal dispute between Baghdad and Erbil. Iran also says that Iranian dissident groups are present in the Kurdistan region. This comes as Iran has arrested hundreds after the conflict with Israel in a major crackdown. Iran has targeted Kurds in the crackdown. It is likely Iran is using the PMF to target the KRG as part of this process.
