Dozens of attacks on U.S. military facilities by Iran-backed factions in Iraq over the past two months have forced Baghdad into a balancing act that's becoming more difficult by the day.

Dozens of attacks on U.S. military facilities by Iran-backed factions in Iraq over the past two months as the Israel-Hamas war has raged have forced Baghdad into a balancing act that’s becoming more difficult by the day.

A rocket attack on the sprawling U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Friday marked a further escalation as Iraqi officials scramble to contain the ripple effects of the latest Middle East war.

Iran holds considerable sway in Iraq and a coalition of Iran-backed groups brought Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to power in October 2022. At the same time, there are some 2,000 U.S. troops in Iraq under an agreement with Baghdad, mainly to counter the militant Islamic State group.

    • Quokka@quokk.auEnglish
      104·
      11 months ago

      Yes America is largely to cause for the fundamentalists in charge of Iran.

      But that doesn’t mean Iran is incapable of being its own regional actor today. And at some point Iran is responsible for its own actions, sanctions or not.

    • Kumabear@lemmy.worldEnglish
      97·
      11 months ago

      I’m sorry what? I think you should go check your Iranian history then come back.

      Iran was a flourishing moderate country before their Islamic revolution, they were even an ally of the US.

      They had a revolution by a sect of ultra conservative sharia law islamics that changed all that.

      The US is responsible for many unfortunate changes of government and old friends turning enemy… but not this one.

      They got the way they are through oppressing the female half of their population, poor foreign policy, corruption and being more concerned with hurting their neighbours than building and maintaining their nation.

      So they are now an unproductive, backwards pariah state that kills teen girls for trying to get educated or not wearing a headscarf, Iran did that all by themselves how great!