Islamic Resistance of Iraq: New non-state actor in Israel-Hamas theatre of war

A little-known group called the Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI) has drawn the world’s attention after it caused the first American fatalities during the Israel-Hamas war. What is the IRI and who patronises it? ETV Bharat’s Aroonim Bhuyan writes.

New Delhi: For the first time since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October last year, three American soldiers were killed in a drone attack on a US base in northeastern Jordan near the border with Syria. According to reports, more than two dozen other soldiers were also injured in the attack that was carried out on Sunday.

Confirming this, the US Central Command stated in a press release that the casualties occurred “from a one-way attack UAS (unmanned aerial system) that impacted at the base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border”. The Iraq-based Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI), believed to be backed by Iran, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Tehran, however, has denied its involvement in the attack. Following the attack, US President Joe Biden vowed revenge and stated, “We shall respond.” He said that the US “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing”.

So, what exactly is the IRI?

The term IRI encompasses pro-Iran Shia Islamist insurgent factions in Iraq. It is characterised as a collective label or network representing various ideologically aligned groups supported by Iran, rather than being viewed as a singular entity. The groups in this network include the Kata’ib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.

The Kata’ib Hezbollah (Battalions of the Party of God) is a radical Iraqi Shia paramilitary group, which used to be part of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organisation comprising approximately 67 different armed factions fought against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist outfit.

During the Iraq War (2003–11), the group fought against the US-led coalition forces. It has been active in the war against IS in Iraq between 2013 and 2017 and the Syrian civil war since 2011. The group was commanded by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis until he was killed in a US drone attack in 2020. Thereafter, he was replaced by Abdul Aziz al-Muhammadawi (Abu Fadak), as the new leader of the PMF. The KH seeks to establish an Iran-aligned government in Iraq, expel American forces from the country and advance the regional and international interests of Iran in Iraq and the region.

The Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (Movement of the Party of God’s Nobles) is a radical Iraqi Shia paramilitary group that is especially active in Syria and Iraq. It was established in 2013 by Akram al-Kaabi to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against Islamist rebels. The group is supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran, which provides the funding, weapons, and training of its members. It used to be part of Iraq’s PMF until 2020 when it joined the IRI. The Nujaba Movement adopts the ideology of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and regards Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as its supreme leader.

The Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous), also known as the Khazali Network, is a radical Iraqi Shia political party and paramilitary organisation active in the Iraqi insurgency and Syrian Civil War. During the Iraq War, it was known as Iraq’s largest “Special Group” (the American term for Iranian-backed Shia paramilitaries in Iraq), and, from 2016 until 2020, used to be part of the PMF cooperating with the Iraqi government in its fight against the IS. The Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq is funded, trained, equipped and guided by IRGC and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Members of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, as part of the PMF, receive Iraqi government salaries after the PMF units were officially integrated into Iraqi security forces in 2018.

The Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhad (Battalions of the Master of Martyrs) is also a radical Iraqi Shia militia formed in 2013. Its stated mission is to protect “Shia shrines across the globe”, preserve “Iraqi unity” and “put an end to the sectarian conflict”. The Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhad is also funded, trained and equipped by the IRGC and Hezbollah. The group has been described as an Iranian proxy and is one of the original militias that formed the PMF in 2014.

Why are these Iran-backed Shia groups getting involved in the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Sunni Islam Hamas militant group?

Iran and the Shia entities like the IRI in Iraq, the Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi group in Yemen have a deep-seated ideological and religious affinity with the Palestinian cause, which is seen as a struggle against what they perceive as oppression and injustice. Many Palestinians are Sunni Muslims, but this doesn’t negate the strong ideological connections that exist, especially when it comes to confronting Israel, which is viewed as a common adversary.

Iran and these Shia entities have consistently opposed the State of Israel and its policies in West Asia. They see Israel’s establishment as a historic injustice, and they are committed to supporting any group or cause that resists Israeli occupation and what they view as Israeli aggression in the region.

What are the attacks that the IRI has claimed responsibility for so far since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war? The war between Israel and Hamas erupted after the Palestinian group carried out a surprise attack on the Jewish nation on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking over 240 others hostage. The war has claimed over 26,000 Palestinian lives so far.

Ever since the war broke out, the Iran-backed Hezbollah started attacking Israeli posts along the border with Lebanon and the Houthis have been attacking ships passing through the Red Sea they perceive to have links with Israel and its biggest supporter, the US. However, according to reports, Hezbollah has ceased operations against Israel after a tacit understanding with Iran.

Meanwhile, the IRI has been carrying out a series of attacks against the US and Israeli targets in the region. Before the attack on Sunday that resulted in the first US fatalities during the Israel-Hamas war, the IRI claimed responsibility for several other attacks.

On October 18, 2023, the IRI began waves of attacks on the US bases in both Iraq and Syria, beginning with the launching of a drone strike on al-Asad Airbase, which was intercepted. On October 24, the IRI claimed responsibility for multiple drone strikes on the US bases in eastern Syria, notably the al-Omar oil field in Deir ez-Zor Governorate and al-Shaddadi in the Al-Hasakah Governorate.

On January 18, 2024, the group claimed it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone after it took off from Kuwait near Muqdadiyah, Diyala Governorate. On January 20, the group claimed a missile attack on the Ain Al-Asad Air Base in Al Anbar Govenorate, resulting in American and Iraqi injuries.

On Sunday, coinciding with the attack on the US base in Jordan, the IRI announced its responsibility for a series of drone assaults on five strategic locations in the region. Notably, three of these attacks were directed at the US occupation bases located in Syria, with a specific focus on al-Shadadi, al-Rukban and al-Tanf. The fourth strike targeted a base near Erbil Airport in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. The fifth operation was carried out on the Zevelun naval facility in occupied Palestine.

Can Iran be held responsible for the actions of the IRI?

“Several non-state actors enjoy the patronage of nation-states in the region,” R Dayakar, former Indian Ambassador to Iraq and Jordan, who also served in the West Asia desk of the External Affairs Ministry, told ETV Bharat. “However, these non-state actors do not necessarily follow the diktats of their patrons.”

As mentioned above, Iran has already denied its hand in the attack on the US base in Jordan. Similarly, Tehran had said that it had no inkling about the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. But, the fact of the matter is that Israel and the US will now have to confront another front, this time comprising splinter groups in Iraq, during the war in Gaza.