Shadow Front: How Iraq Is Caught Between US And Iran As Violence Spirals?

Last Updated:March 12, 2026, 16:01 IST

Iraq became the central arena for Washington and Tehran's competing ambitions following the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Iraq is once again finding itself caught in a confrontation it did not choose and cannot easily escape. As tensions between the United States and Iran escalate into open military exchanges, the violence is spilling across Iraq’s borders, into its airspace and onto its desert floor. A succession of mysterious raids, drone swarms and retaliatory strikes over the past week has made one thing clear: the country that has served as a proxy battleground for foreign powers since 2003 is being pulled back to the centre of a regional war.

What Triggered The Latest Incident?

The episode that crystallised Iraq’s predicament began with a shepherd. Alone in a remote stretch of desert in southern Iraq, near the border with Saudi Arabia, he spotted unmarked military vehicles moving across the sand and helicopters setting down what he could only describe as “foreign forces." He raised the alarm with Iraqi authorities, who dispatched a security patrol to investigate. The unit came under fire almost immediately upon arrival. Baghdad condemned the episode in furious terms- calling it “reprehensible and deplorable".

Read more: EAM Jaishankar Held Three Calls With Iranian FM On Safe Passage Of Ships, Energy Security: MEA

How Is Washington Justifying Its Actions In Iraq?

A US defence official confirmed to Financial Times that American forces have conducted operations inside Iraq as part of the wider campaign against Iranian-aligned groups.

“They were attacked by Iran-aligned militia groups. We responded in self-defence," the official said, adding that US troops had not engaged Iraqi security forces directly- a distinction Baghdad is finding increasingly difficult to credit as its own personnel take casualties. Israel, which has carried out air strikes in Iraq in previous years, said through a military official that it was not aware of any recent operations there.

Why Has Iraq Become A Battlefield Once Again?

The roots of the crisis run back more than two decades. Iraq became the central arena for Washington and Tehran’s competing ambitions following the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and that rivalry has never been fully extinguished. It has now reignited with fresh intensity following direct US and Israeli attacks on Iran last month.

Tehran-backed Shia militias operating across Iraq have since claimed responsibility for more than a dozen rocket and drone attacks on US military and diplomatic facilities. The targets have grown progressively bolder- including the US embassy compound in Baghdad, long treated as an untouchable red line even by the most hardline armed factions and a US air base in Erbil in the Kurdish north.

How Far Have Attacks Spread?

Armed groups have moved well beyond military targets, striking oil installations, an airport and hotels housing American citizens in Erbil. Attacks have been claimed in Jordan and Kuwait, and the US embassy has warned that American-owned oil and energy infrastructure across Iraq could be next. On Tuesday night, several drones targeted a US diplomatic and logistics facility inside Baghdad’s airport complex.

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