What we must hope is that all those responsible for America’s national security completely, viscerally understand that the United States is under attack. Not in theory, not in some distant theater, and not even in Iran (although that’s true, too). This attack is in Iraq, where Iranian proxies are waging a hot war against the U.S.
In Baghdad—inside one of the most fortified diplomatic compounds in the world—drones and rockets are striking the U.S. Embassy with increasing frequency. (See, e.g., here, here, and here.) These assaults are carried out by militias under Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), armed factions that function as extensions of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
These militants are trained, financed, and guided by Tehran’s Quds Force, and they operate with lethal autonomy, targeting American personnel and assets while hiding behind the veneer of the Iraqi state. Iraq’s government, which made them an official part of the Iraqi state security apparatus in 2016, provides them cover, legitimacy, and resources, funding their salaries, arms, and logistics even as they carry out attacks against U.S. interests.
Militias operating from within Iraq are launching coordinated attacks on American personnel, facilities, and interests, testing Washington’s willingness to respond.
This is no longer a shadow conflict. It is not a warning phase. It is a campaign unfolding from within a state that claims partnership with the United States while tolerating and politically shielding the actors carrying it out.