ABSTRACT

Iraq is Iran’s single most important foreign-policy brief. For Iranian policymakers, Iraq is a more critical – and therefore more sensitive – theatre of operation than other countries in which Iran supports local militant groups. The establishment of the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) in 2014 brought to prominence a series of small, pre-existing Iraqi militant groups that are essentially parasitic in nature. Beyond the PMU, Iran also has strong ties to elements within Iraq’s traditional security forces. The deployments of Iran-affiliated militia groups inside Iraq reflect Tehran’s regional geopolitical ambitions as much as, or even more than, its military goals. Critical to Iran’s long-term plans for its Iraqi proxies are a series of large logistical and support bases scattered across the country. Many of these are co-located with the Iraqi Army at existing military bases. The secretive and compartmentalised nature of Iran’s relationships with its Iraqi groups has important implications for their training and operational readiness.