U.S. designates four Iran-backed Iraqi militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations

The United States designated four Iran-backed Iraqi militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations on Wednesday, widening the U.S. effort to disrupt Tehran's network inside Iraq. The groups named by the State Department were Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali. All four were previously designated by the Treasury Department as Specially Designated Global Terrorists in 2023. The designation follows U.S. assessments that these militias have attacked facilities hosting American personnel, including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and bases housing U.S. and Coalition forces, often by operating under front names or proxy organizations.

Analysts describe the four groups as the core of an umbrella organization known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), which gained prominence after the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023. The IRI is accused of mounting hundreds of attacks across Iraq, Syria and Jordan and was linked to the January 2024 drone strike in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members. Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior Iran analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said the designation fits a broader pattern of naming and sanctioning Iran-aligned militias in Iraq and described the groups as agents of Tehran’s influence. He noted that the Trump administration broke a taboo by naming these militias during its first term, and that the current administration is continuing a strategy of designations against Iran-backed militants across Iraq.

The four groups also operate within the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of largely Shia units formed to counter ISIS and widely seen as being influenced by Iran. PMF units are dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias and function as a state-like network that intersects with Iraq’s formal security apparatus in complicated, long-running ways. The designation highlights persistent concerns in Washington about Iran’s ability to project power across the region through proxies linked to the Iraqi security landscape.

The move comes as part of a broader U.S. effort to counter Iran’s influence in Iraq and the broader Middle East. Analysts say the effort signals Washington’s intent to constrain Tehran’s capacity to use proxy militias to advance its strategic objectives, even as Baghdad and its partners navigate a delicate balance with Tehran and various militias on the ground. The actions reflect a continuing pattern of designations aimed at Iran-backed networks in Iraq, following the trajectory set during the Trump administration and continued in subsequent years.

In assessing the implications, experts stress that the PMF’s Iran-aligned component remains a focal point for regional tensions, with policymakers monitoring how such groups influence Iraqi sovereignty and stability. As the United States expands its regulatory pressure on Iran’s Iraqi proxies, the broader regional dynamic — including Iranian influence in Syria and Lebanon, as well as pro-Iranian networks elsewhere — remains a central concern for U.S. foreign policy and Allied partners in the Middle East.