US strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq reportedly continue as Baghdad warns of 'right to respond'

The United States subject reportedly launched airstrikes targeting the office of Iraq's ​Iran-backed Shiite militia (PMF) and a residence belonging to its person connected ‌Tuesday, successful an escalation of strikes against Tehran's prized militias. 

The latest strikes from the U.S. military follows a connection past week from Gen. Dan Caine, president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said AH-64 helicopters "have been striking against Iranian-aligned militia groups to marque definite that we suppress immoderate menace successful Iraq against U.S. forces oregon U.S. interests." 

In what appears to beryllium an Iraqi menace against the U.S., Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said successful a connection connected Tuesday, "In airy of the unjustified attacks and sedate violations of Iraqi sovereignty, including the targeting of authoritative information headquarters, the Council decided the following: To face and respond to subject attacks carried retired by subject craft and drones targeting the office and formations of the Popular Mobilization Forces Commission and different formations of our equipped forces, utilizing disposable means, successful accordance with the close to respond and self-defense."

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Smoke rises from the U.S. embassy gathering successful Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 14, 2026.  (Ali Jabar/ AP Photo)

Sudani besides said that Iraq’s overseas ministry planned to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires and separately the Iranian ambassador connected Wednesday. The PMF is portion of Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani's government.

An Iraqi Kurdish authorities authoritative said to Fox News Digital, "So what the Iraqi authorities volition present combat the Americans?"

When asked astir the Iraqi Kurdish authorities official’s comment, a spokesperson for Iraq’s embassy successful Washington D.C., told Fox News Digital, "Absolutely not. It is against elements that people them."

According to the Times of Israel, a caller airstrike connected Wednesday deed the PMF successful occidental Iraq. "Two missiles were fired from a combatant jet" astatine a basal successful Anbar province, a information authoritative said. The Anbar basal was besides reportedly struck by U.S. forces connected Tuesday.

The Iraqi embassy spokesperson said, responding to further Fox News Digital property questions that helium lacked the existent accusation to remark regarding the fast-moving developments successful Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani chairs negotiations betwixt Iraq and the United States to extremity the International Coalition ngo successful Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 27, 2024. President Joe Biden is acceptable to big al Sudani Monday, April 15, for talks that travel arsenic tensions crossed the Middle East person soared implicit the warfare successful Gaza and Iran's threats to retaliate for an Israeli subject onslaught against an Iranian installation successful Syria.  (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, Pool)

The PMF has launched attacks connected the U.S. embassy successful Baghdad, Israel and different American assets successful the region, particularly successful the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, pursuing the U.S.-Israel associated onslaught connected the Islamic Republic connected Feb. 28. Over the years, the PMF has been accused of sidesplitting American subject unit successful the Middle East.

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PMF person Falih al-Fayadh was not contiguous erstwhile his residence was deed successful the bluish metropolis of ​Mosul connected Tuesday. At slightest 15 PMF terrorists were killed successful different ⁠airstrikes that deed a office of the radical successful Iraq's Euphrates vale ​province of Anbar, according to sources and a connection from the group.

The Kurdish authorities authoritative told Fox News Digital connected Tuesday: "The militias are brazenly doing Iran’s bidding. They’ve attacked U.S. forces and diplomats, Iraq’s ain quality services, French troops, and the KRG’s Peshmerga [Kurdish Regional Government]. Energy and civilian infrastructure haven’t been spared. This does not necessitate investigation — these groups openly assertion responsibility."

Supporters stitchery successful Baghdad’s Sadr territory holding Iranian flags and posters of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pursuing the announcement that helium was killed successful U.S.-Israeli attacks, connected March 1, 2026 (Murtadha Al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Kurdish authoritative added: "So wherefore does the Iraqi authorities proceed to wage those it itself describes arsenic terrorists and criminals? There are 4 main groups: Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataeb Hezbollah, Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. This authorities is unwilling to support its ain interests, fto unsocial those of its partners. At this point, the favoritism betwixt the PMF and the authorities is progressively hard to discern."

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a elder non-resident chap astatine the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and an adept connected the PMF, told Fox News Digital determination was a "sense of delusion" during the Biden administration, which tried to differentiate betwixt the PMF and six of its pro-Iran militia members that are U.S.-designated violent entities.

She said the caller strikes intelligibly "show that the U.S. is bushed of this inane distinction," Tsurkov said. She stressed the "entire PMF operation is simply a problem."

Tsurkov, who was held hostage by the pro-Iranian regime, Kataib Hezbollah, for 2 and fractional years successful Iraq, said, "The U.S. possesses immense leverage implicit Iraq. The U.S. tin sanction certain ministries and definite directors generals." She added that the U.S. tin besides authorisation Iraqi banks that transportation wealth to Iran.

An detonation is reported adjacent the U.S. Consulate and the Erbil International Airport area, wherever a U.S. subject basal is besides located, successful Erbil, Iraq, with occurrence breaking retired and heavy fume rising pursuing the blast, connected march 12, 2026.  (Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Tsurkov said the PMF are highly delicate to U.S. strikes connected their apical leadership.

The PMF question is reeling from the devastating alleged U.S. airstrikes. The dormant included its operations commander, Saad al-Baiji. The connection said ​U.S. forces had targeted a bid office successful Anbar portion unit were connected ​duty. The information sources said the strikes were deed during a gathering attended by elder commanders.

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A State Department authoritative told Fox News Digital that, "The United States strongly condemns the wide attacks by Iran and Iran-backed militias against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States passim Iraq, including U.S. diplomatic unit and facilities."

The authoritative continued: "As Secretary Rubio has said, the Iraqi authorities must take each measures to safeguard U.S. diplomatic unit and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot usage Iraqi territory to endanger the United States, our Iraqi partners, oregon the region. Doing truthful is successful Iraq’s interest. Continued attacks by Iran-backed militias undermine Iraq’s stableness and hazard drafting Iraq into a broader regional conflict."

Members of Shiite extremist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army parade successful Baghdad's Shiite vicinity of Sadr metropolis 03 April 2004. Sadr's followers person held astir regular demonstrations to protestation the determination by the conjugation to adjacent his play newspaper, the al-Hawza al-Natiqa, for 60 days connected charges of inciting violence. (Ahmed Labib/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command referred Fox News Digital to the White House and to the Office of the Secretary of War for remark connected the administration’s policy. Fox News Digital reached retired to the White House and Pentagon for comment.

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On Monday, the U.S. Embassy successful Baghdad issued a information alert warning: "Iraq Iran-aligned violent militias person conducted wide attacks connected U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States passim Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). U.S. citizens should permission Iraq now."

Fox News Digital reached retired to the Israel Defense Forces regarding Israel's relation successful the ongoing strikes against Iran-backed militias.

Reuters contributed to this report.