Iranian ‘secret’ cells in Iraq reportedly targeting Gulf countries

Iraq (Terror Monitor) Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has established new “secret” cells in Iraq with the alleged aim of targeting Gulf countries hosting US military bases, according to Reuters citing multiple Iraqi security, military and militia sources.

Eight Iraqi sources told Reuters that the new units operate separately from Iran-backed militia networks and report directly to the IRGC. The groups are said to consist of three or four covert cells, each made up of around 10 trained Iraqi Shia fighters.

According to the report, these cells carried out at least seven drone attacks between April 20 and May 17, launching operations from desert areas near Basra and Samawa in southern Iraq. The alleged targets included sites in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Sources said some members were drawn from the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” an umbrella network of Iran-aligned armed factions, though the new cells reportedly operate outside its command structure under direct Iranian direction.

The report comes amid claims that Iran’s regional proxy networks are weakening and Tehran is facing increasing military and economic pressure.

It also notes that several Iraqi Shia armed groups have recently indicated willingness to lay down arms and focus on political activity, following pressure from the Iraqi government and warnings from the United States to rein in armed factions.

The report could not be independently verified, and Iran, Iraq, and Gulf states have not issued immediate responses.