Why did Iraqi militias resume operations against Americans?, 28 July

 Why did Iraqi militias resume operations against Americans?

Pentagon to Asharq Al-Awsat: No injuries or damage in attacks in Iraq and Syria

Since a drone attack in late January killed three American soldiers in a desert area on the Iraqi-Jordanian-Syrian border triangle, and the US responded with extensive strikes against pro-Iranian factions in Iraq and Syria, Iraqi factions have backed off from their attacks.

Some saw the American response at the time as a “deterrent” message aimed at warning Iran against expanding the conflict in the region, against the backdrop of the Israeli war in Gaza. But last Thursday’s attack on two bases housing forces from the international coalition led by Washington, raised questions about the reasons behind the new “harassment” of American forces.

Pressure and embarrassment for Baghdad

The war in Gaza no longer seemed to be the motive behind the attack, while a Pentagon spokesman downplayed its importance and referred the question of whether it was related to the security agreement signed by Iraqi and American officials in Washington this week to the State Department.

The defense official told Asharq Al-Awsat that questions related to political relations between the United States and Iraq and political relations between the United States and Iran are the responsibility of the State Department.

“Regarding the attacks in Syria and Iraq, one rocket was fired at a military support site in the Euphrates region of Syria. The rocket did not impact the base and no injuries or damage were reported. In Iraq, two rockets were fired at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. They did not impact the base and no injuries or damage were reported to US or coalition forces,” the official added.

Thursday's attack came after a security meeting held in Washington to discuss the future of the international coalition forces against ISIS in Iraq, while Iranian-backed armed factions are demanding the withdrawal of these forces.

The US Department of Defense said last Wednesday that the talks "reached an agreement on the concept of a new phase in the bilateral security relationship."

An Iraqi security official suggested that the attack was intended to “embarrass” the Iraqi government and “pressure” for the departure of the international anti-extremist coalition forces, a demand repeated by the pro-Iran factions.

Messages with regional and nuclear dimensions

Some believe that the attacks are “Iranian messages with regional dimensions,” including the stalled nuclear negotiations file, but why were they renewed at this time, while Iran has not yet arranged its files with its new president and America is preoccupied with its elections?

“Deterrence is never permanent,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, a Republican-friendly think tank. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he added that the halt in attacks by Iranian-backed Shiite militias on American sites in the region came after an “impressive” use of force by the Biden administration in late January after three American soldiers were killed.

But since then, the militias have tested the waters at least three times with missile and drone attacks. The more these attacks are understood, the more they have grown in scope and scale.

“Despite seeing the link between the nuclear and regional challenges that this poses, Tehran is trying to persuade Washington and Europe to separate the files,” Ben Taleblu adds. “To this end, the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian will be designed to lure the West into a futile nuclear diplomacy, while the increase in Iranian-backed regional attacks will create the impression that there is no end in sight to the cycle of violence in the region other than appeasing Iran.”  link